Four Letter Words
by PurpleMoon3
Summary: What would happen if after the Mizuki fight Iruka was gravely injured and Naruto didn't return to the village. A single choice changes the fate of the entire Narutoverse!
1. Fray

**Four Letter Words**

**Naruto belongs to someone else**

**Heads Up-This is an alternate universe that started out simple, but has since taken on new weird frontiers. There will be a hermaphrodite Kyuubi, Jutsu wielding squirrels, crazy demon containers, and freaked out Kages. This is a drama/adventure/angst. Not for the faint of heart. **

**_SOME SECTIONS OF THE STORY FOCUS ON ANIMAL OC'S. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE STORY. FEEL FREE TO SKIP THEM. I WON'T HATE YOU. SKIP ANY PARTS YOU DON'T LIKE, BUT DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THEM. THEY ARE THERE FOR A REASON, AND IT WAS MY CHOICE TO INCLUDE THEM. READ ONLY WHAT YOU WANT._** **You have been warned. **

_**Italics **_**denote thoughts or emphasize words. But you knew that right?**

**Chapter 1: Fray**

Naruto wasn't one for moping around. He believed if life gave you lemons; use them as ammo to bomb someone else. It was unusual to find the boy sulking, but after failing his exam for the fourth time he felt it was his right to sulk. The fact that he was the _only_ student to fail this year was like rubbing salt into the wound. It hurt like hell.

Staring at the ground and watching his tears darken the dirt beneath the swing was how his blue haired teacher found him. Mizuki had been observing the boy for several minutes, and decided on the best course of action. He would approach the blonde demon container and tell him about a secret test for passing the genin exam. The idiot child was so gullible, only the mere hint of another option would draw him in.

Naruto quickly wiped his eyes on his orange jacket sleeve and glared at the man standing over him. "What is it Mizuki-sensei?" He asked bitterly. Not much of a teacher he couldn't pass the stupid test after his fourth go at it. _Stupid rules...stupid villagers...stupid everything..._

"No need to be upset Naruto-kun. I just want to help you." Mizuki gave the boy a small smile, which immediately put him on his guard.

_Mizuki-sensei never calls me Naruto-kun. He probably wants to just make fun of me later. _"Oh really?" Naruto said curiously. "How would you do that?"

Mizuki ruffled his student's hair and whispered, "There's a different way to become genin. It's harder, but I think you can do it. Come with me and I'll give you the details, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grinned wide and jumped off the old swing to trail after the man. All his fears were pushed to the side after being presented with this secret test. _Wow. Mizuki-sensei's nicer than I thought. Imagine a harder test. But I can do it! Yup yup, I'll definitely pass this one!_

* * *

Naruto's infiltration of the Hokage tower was surprisingly easy. Getting past the first set of guards was pathetically simple; they didn't even look at him as walked straight through the front door. Naruto supposed this might be because they didn't figure he'd get into anything with security. Too bad for them.

A quick substitution with a bucket from the janitor's closet got him into the higher security area. The blonde clamped a hand over his mouth when he heard someone trip on the bucket he switched with moments earlier. Naruto waited in the cramped closet for his giggles to die down, then listened to make sure no one was walking by. From here on out Mizuki-sensei said it would get more dangerous, any further and using the excuse he was lost or looking for the bathroom wouldn't work.

Naruto opened the door and slinked out. He didn't bother to close it for fear the click of the lock might alert someone. He hugged the wall and noticed shadows seemed to be getting bigger, most likely to aid in the hiding of traps like Mizuki told him. Naruto crouched on all fours and moved forward. His eyes scanned the ground and walls, checking for anything out of the ordinary. _It's almost like a real mission..._

His fingers detected the slight tremor of footsteps before he heard them. Naruto had ample time to jump up and wedge himself against the ceiling. He wished they taught wall climbing at the academy then he wouldn't be straining just to remain in place. His fingers barely reached the other side of the hallway, and the pressure was starting to get painful.

Quickly the ninja passed under the orange clad pre-teen, and Naruto stared in shock for a good three minutes before exhaustion finally overpowered him. He dropped to the floor with a thud and snapped out of his musing. _An ANBU, the best of the best, just passed under me, and didn't even notice? That must mean I'm better than everyone! I knew I was good._

Continuing on his way Naruto lost much of his caution, but was still able to avoid the few that rushed by. The blonde had activated no less than five traps on his way to the jounin and up library, but luckily they were designed for taller and older people. Naruto was short for his age, so they flew right over his head. He hid behind a chest and observed the retired shinobi librarian.

He had white hair and wrinkles. He also had an orange book...Naruto grinned viciously as his plan solidified in his young mind. Naruto's hands became blurs in motion as he prepared the chakra for his best move. He may be only able to do mediocre henge and barely human bushin, but he always thought sexy-no-jutsu surpassed them all. After all, he was the only one he knew of that could _physically_ change just by messing with the henge hand seals.

Naruto shut his eyes and waited for the burning feeling to subside. Clouds floated in place of clothes around him, now her, as she stepped out from behind the storage chest. Her hips swayed suggestively as she approached the gawking bookkeeper. Naruto blew a kiss at the man and bounced her breasts, he started gibbering in response and his gnarled hands twitched. "Ne, what do you want to do?" She asked innocently while fluttering her eyelashes. The clouds dipped dangerously low, and Naruto knew she almost had him.

Turning sideways, the well built woman stroked one of her pigtails and winked. The old man flew backwards with blood gushing from his nose. Naruto stepped daintily over her victim and checked his status. He'd be out for a while, lucky for him his old training would kick in and work overtime to replenish blood. A normal civilian would be out for a day or two. Naruto giggled and concentrated. He closed his eyes and focused on his stomach, loosening the chakra weave that held her form. With a poof of smoke a young, dressed, and male Naruto skipped around the service desk.

The lack of anything resembling a security system only made him shrug. _Overconfident ninja must have figured it was impossible to get this far. _Naruto flipped through the files before finding his goal. He jotted down the directions and jumped over several shelves.

Coming to a stand, Naruto nodded in appreciation at the large scroll he had come to get. The Scroll of Seals was nearly as tall as he was. Over a thousand techniques; Mizuki-sensei said he only had to master one. If Naruto mastered one of the thousand then it would prove he was at least jounin level, since only jounin could learn these, and not even all the ones in this particular scroll. Some were forbidden to everyone but the Hokage. Naruto shook as he lifted the heavy thing from its stand.

He struggled under the weight, but then found a length of cloth to adjust the scroll against his back. The blonde began to exit the library and glanced back at the old pervert who was starting to groan. Naruto started running back the way he came, setting off more traps he had carefully avoided on the way in. Speed was what he needed, and if he had to jump a bit every now and then it was good training.

Alarm bells had just started ringing as Naruto exited the tower and headed for the forest. Despite the loud blaring and shouts of 'the scroll is missing!' getting caught was far from Naruto's mind at the moment. He was not even thinking about what to read first from the weight on his back. No, Naruto was wondering what it was about naked girls that made grown men get nosebleeds. Sakura always hit people and they got nosebleeds, but it didn't happen just by her walking into a room. Then again, there was Miemi who graduated two years ago; she had worn a white shirt that one day. After getting wet from experimental water jutsu lots of the boys and even some teachers had nosebleeds.

Naruto slapped his head to clear it. He would stop questioning why it happened; all that mattered was that the move was effective. Besides, Mizuki-sensei said he only had a few hours to learn something and he needed to get to the training spot where no one would look for him.

* * *

Naruto looked like a dozen loaded carts rolled over him as he sat panting on the grass. His orange clothes were dirty and mussed, sweat drenched his body but he had a blissful smile on despite it all. He patted the scroll lovingly and rested. _One jutsu. Check. When I show Mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei they'll pass me._

He leaned back and listened to the calming sounds of nature. Insects buzzed, birds chirped and squirrels chattered back and forth to..._wait a minute where'd the squirrels go?_ Naruto sat up and closed his eyes to listen. He'd been exploring and playing in Konoha forests for as long as he could remember and the animal life usually accepted his presence, for the squirrels to just leave meant someone else was coming. "Naruto!"

The tired blonde whipped his head around and broke into a maddening grin. "Iruka-sensei! You caught me! I guess that means times up huh?"

"Naruto, this is no time to be playing around. Do you have any idea what that scroll you stole is!" Iruka shouted angrily.

"Of course! Mizuki-sensei told me."

Iruka paused as the gears in his head turned. "Mizuki-sensei told you? What did he say?"

Naruto jumped up and spun around to show off the large scroll tied to his back. "He said if I can learn just one technique from this seal scroll thingy then I can be a genin!" The blonde turned back to his teacher and scratched his head still smiling like an idiot. "And I did it! I learned one!"

Iruka drew a kunai and started scanning the trees. "Naruto, listen to me. Mizuki lied to you he-"

"Oh shut up Iruka. You've lied to him just as much as I have." Mizuki called as he appeared above them in the branches.

Naruto's gaze wavered between his two instructors in confusion. "You...both lied to me? Does this mean I'm not going to be a genin?"

Mizuki laughed. "Always a one track mind, eh brat? No, you won't be genin, because I'll take that scroll and kill you right here!" He reached behind and pulled an enormous shuriken from his back, quickly tossing it. Naruto felt his tired body seize up as the spinning death closed in on him.

"Naruto!" Iruka screamed and pushed his student out of the way. Naruto went tumbling backwards as the shuriken went flying off into the distance. Mizuki sneered.

"I wasn't planning on killing you Iruka, but if you interfere that's what will happen." The man drew forth several kunai and examined the two on the ground. "You know, I don't see why you'd want to protect the thing that took your parents..."

* * *

Naruto stared up the man who was dripping blood and tears on him. Iruka was crying as he told his reasons for using his own body as a shield for the boy. "We're the same, Naruto. I took a while to see it, but you're not the demon fox."

"Listen to that drivel boy! He's just lying to you to get the scroll for himself! Iuka's been lying to you your whole life just like the rest of the village. Ignore him and hand over the scroll." Mizuki yelled as he walked over the where the boy and man sat huddled. His eyes held a crazy shine and he licked a kunai.

"N-naruto." Iruka whispered. He was out of practice but be damned if he let one of his students get hurt. "Please, listen to me."

Naruto scowled and peered at the scarred nosed man. He didn't know what or who to believe, though the demon fox did mesh in with how everyone always treated him...except for Iruka-sensei. Iruka sucked in a breath and his eyes bored into Naruto's. "Run. And don't let anyone take the scroll. Consider this...a mission from me. You don't know who could be working with Mizuki. Don't let anyone have it, it holds more secrets than even the Hokage himself. Don't. Let. Anyone. Get. It." Iruka rolled over and deflected a thrown kunai. "RUN NARUTO!"

Naruto jerked his head in a nod and broke for the trees. His feet pounded the ground as tears flew off his face. He thought about going back to the village and returning the scroll to the Hokage and to get Iruka-sensei help, but then he remembered what Mizuki and Iruka said. _The entire village has always lied to you. You don't know who Mizuki is working with. Don't let anyone get the scroll..._

He kept running further into the woods. Iruka-sensei was the only one he could trust, he was sacrificing himself so Naruto might have some time to run. He wouldn't let Iruka-sensei down. Naruto would protect the damnable scroll from any and all comers, even the Hokage himself unless Iruka-sensei said otherwise.

"Curse you Iruka. Now I have to hunt down that stupid fox." Mizuki spat has he jumped into the branches. Iruka Umino narrowed his eyes and followed, his hands picking up a log and beginning to shift through very familiar forms. Seconds later a perfect copy of Naruto was jumping through the branches on all fours like an animal.

* * *

Iruka would have smirked if his cover wouldn't be blown by the action. A transformed Mizuki approached and tried to convince 'Naruto' to hand over the scroll. As if. Iruka shoulder slammed Mizuki into a tree and fell to the ground panting.

"How did you know it was me?" Mizuki growled as his disguise vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Simple." Iruka answered. "I'm me and you're you." He grinned as he dispelled his own transformation.

"I guess the only way for me to progress is to take you down then." Mizuki commented as he calmly unhitched his last giant shuriken from his back. Iruka shifted into a better stance. The fight was about to get serious.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the hidden village of Konoha an old man sweatdropped. "Crap..." He murmured as he watched the two people prepare to battle in his crystal ball. He had been planning to watch Naruto so when all this cooled down he could easily find the boy and get back the scroll. The old man hadn't counted on Iruka's prowess with henge though, and had spent the last five minutes following the man in his Naruto guise.

The Hokage didn't have sound on his system, and gave a quick prayer that whichever one of them was loyal to Konoha would win. He placed his hand around the crystal orb and started his systematic scaring of the village and forest. Hopefully the blonde wouldn't have gotten out of range yet. Hopefully.

* * *

Iruka could feel his vision and reactions begin to fade. The academy teacher was starting to regret missing practice, as teaching was mostly a desk job. He was barely able to parry Mizuki's attacks.

"Give up, you know without me you never would have gotten where you are. I'm better than you, and once I kill the brat and take the scroll everyone will acknowledge it." Mizuki heaved out, he was panting with the exertion it took to knock away Iruka's many thrown kunai. Sometimes they ricochet off one another only to come at him from behind.

"I won't let you touch Naruto." Iruka snarled and jumped out of the way. He knew he didn't have much time before his stamina gave out. _Let Naruto get away. Even if he has to leave Konoha altogether, let him escape this mad man._ He stumbled on the tree branch and calmly waited for Mizuki to take advantage of his mistake. The crazed teacher headed in for the kill, laughing while calling Iruka a failure and a demon lover.

Iruka looked into his opponents face with eyes cold and emotionless, it was such a change that Mizuki paused in his mocking but he kept coming. "I may be a demon lover to you, but it's better than trash. We burn trash." Iruka's voice came out freezing, he didn't even blink or try to twist out of the way as Mizuki's blade came within inches of his throat. "Boom."

Too late the would-be missing nin saw the set of explosive notes set up between him and his target. They had been hidden within a henge. _Damn Iruka and his basic jutsus..._

The explosion rocked the forest and threw back the two fighters. Their clothes were shredded like the landscape, blood, wood, and bits of flesh were scattered around the area. Iruka would've given himself ten minutes to live had he been awake. The only reason he had that much was because he knew his homemade bomb would go off and prepared the best he could for it.

Mizuki's glazed eyes didn't match his face which was frozen in surprise. The man would never have guessed his rival would willingly sacrifice himself for a demon. His corpse cooled where it was speared on a broken branch.

* * *

Naruto didn't feel the explosion, but he heard it. Fresh tears sprung forth and he stumbled but kept running. _Iruka-sensei...thank you. I won't let you down. I promise._ He kept running, the direction didn't matter as long as it was away from Konoha. The scroll on his back beat against him in time to his erratic heartbeat. Naruto felt something inside him stir...and he felt his weariness start to retreat a bit. Naruto wasn't stopping for a long while.

* * *

Several ANBU dropped down to survey the carnage wrought by the two combatants. A goat masked female whistled and pointed. The mutilated body of a brown haired man could be seen hanging from the trees; his leg was wedged between some branches. "I think he's still alive."

"God...he can't have much longer. Get him down and to the hospital. Helios, run ahead and inform them to prepare the emergency room." Snapped a dog masked man.

An ANBU with a bird mask blurred as he headed back to town.

"Sir, what do you think happened?"

"I don't know. From the sound I'd say explosive tag, but they don't do _this_ much damage. Do they?" Dog mask replied as he walked among the waste. He was careful not to step on any bits of warped metal sticking up.

"Sir, there's no sign of it or the scroll." A shorter man in a frog mask called.

Dog mask rubbed his neck. "Damn. Assume it is still in possession of the scroll, check for any signs of passage but don't take too long. Report back to headquarters in fifteen minutes. If we find nothing that man is our only possible lead."

The gathered ninjas saluted and leapt away. Idly the leader wondered why when they jumped away from the Hokage his robes billowed out, and when people jumped from him the natural vacuum created by their departure drew in his clothes. It defied logic.

The ANBU captain looked over the area one last time before leaving to write up a report. The demon container had the Scroll of Seals. He shivered; if the child learned the secrets it contained they would be in trouble. Best to hunt the creature down and exterminate it before it became a threat, but that would be left to the hunter nin. Dog mask disappeared in the direction of the hospital. He hoped the man made it, after all he was the only one that might know where to start looking for the demon.

END.


	2. Rain

**Four Letter Words**

**Summary- After stealing the Scroll of Seals, Mizuki reveals the truth to Naruto. Iruka orders Naruto to run, and fights with Mizuki. Now Mizuki is dead and Iruka in critical, Naruto keeps running only knowing he's leaving behind a village of hate filled liars.**

**Chapter 2: Rain **

ANBU captain Rai, codename Kanna, paced along the hallways in the basement of Hokage tower. His dog mask was firmly in place and covered his scowl. Rai followed the trail he assumed the demon vessel took, looking for any signs of passage. There were plenty. Poisoned kunai and other implements of activated traps littered the floor. _This is so unbelievably sloppy. How the heck did that brat get past all of us? _

Rai stopped at the entrance of the jutsu library. "Old man, what do you remember from last night." The dog mask effectivly muffled his voice enough to be unrecognizable.

The white haired bookkeeper looked up from his orange novel. "Last night? I remember..." A goofy look came on the old lechers face as he blushed. "I remember a blonde goddess with breasts and hips nicer than Junko's."

The ANBU sighed and turned. "Next time old man, pay attention and stop day dreaming." _This is a dead end. The pervert must have been asleep having sick fantasies when the demon came in. Can't even get a proper timeline set up. _Rai's hand flew to his sword handle at the feel of a sudden chakra signature behind him. His grip relaxed when he realized it was one of his team. "Ayumu. What is it?"

"Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you about the report, at your convenience of course." Ayumu bowed. Rai could here the smirk in his voice. The brat was way too cocky for his own good, the over confidence was well founded but could easily be the death of him someday.

"Okay. Thanks for the message." Rai brought his hands together to perform the teleportation jutsu but paused and looked at his subordinate. "How's that john doe?"

"Him? He'll live, expected to make a recovery with time but with more scars than Ibiki. Possibly loose some sight, full damage report's still not done. Identified as a chunin academy teacher. Ironic huh."

"Yeah...ironic." Rai whispered and triggered the jutsu. _Academy teacher...probably the demons own. We never should have let the thing go. We never should have let it live in the first place._

* * *

Naruto stumbled on a tree root and went flying. He didn't know how long it had been since leaving Iruka-sensei, he didn't know much at that point. His mind stopped working hours ago when he was too tired to think. He crashed head first into a tree trunk and screamed. Blood stained his yellow hair as he struggled to get up.

He had to keep going, get as far away as possible. Naruto stumbled for several feet before getting back his mindless stride. Lift foot, lean forward, put down. Repeat. Overhead the sun loomed like a fiery eye, increasing the humidity in the air. The dampness gathered moisture to the running boy's clothes, making them heavy to his exhausted mind and body. Red drops continued to slick down his face and beneath his black shirt but the injured blonde paid no attention to uncomfortable sensations racking his body.

Finally unable to do more his legs gave out and sent him rolling. One arm came up to protect his face from twigs and rocks while the other grabbed the bundle on his back. Naruto snapped his eyes shut and continued his downward fall clutching the great scroll. Sharp rocks occasionally caught on the orange fabric of his clothing and tore it, but eventually the boy stopped when his back rammed up against mossy buttress roots.

Blood and drool mingled as both trickled out his mouth. Naruto lay there at the base of the tree, exhaustion taking hold with a vengeance. His eyes slowly closed and breathing eased. Naruto rested far from the place of his nightmares, but even in sleep his hands held the forbidden object in a white knuckled grip.

* * *

"Rai-san." The famous third Hokage of the leaf said with steepled fingers. He peered out form under his hat, the very picture of a calm interrogation officer. "Your report was suspiciously vague."

Rai reached up to take off his dog mask. A small strand of chakra from his fingers loosened it from where it was placed. "There wasn't much to report, Hokage-sama." His dark brown eyes revealed nothing. Inside he seethed, he wanted to be out there hunting down that damn fox. Several chunin and jounin teams were already out in the forest scouting for it, but only ANBU or Hunter nin could follow it out of the country. Every second wasted was another second given to the demon to hide.

"Yes, I would understand that. However you left out anything concrete. Do you_know _if the boy has the scroll? He may have hidden it right under our noses. That would be like him..." The old ninja muttered the last to himself.

"We should assume the worst. All I know for sure is one chunin is dead and another out of commission. How that happened is anyone's guess...that, boy, did have the scroll at some point."

"I don't like what your implying." _Would Naruto really use the scroll to kill his own teachers? He always seemed so...inept. He adored Iruka. _"And what is your opionion of Iruka Umino's condition?"

"Umino? Ah, the chunin. If Tsunade-sama was here I have no doubt he would make a full recovery but as it is? He will have some permanent injuries."

"That's not what I meant."

"Hokage-sama?"

"I know he was somewhat attached to the boy, and that he is alive and the other not...if what you think happened did, then what do you think should be done about him?" The Third was careful not to let his emotions show. He gagged the ANBU captain carefully and considered. He had seen the look of despair on Naruto's face with Iruka after failing the genin exam. He knew from his scrying crystal the boy grew to have enormous stamina, and was worried. _If he feels cornered by the retrieval teams, will he fight and tap into the Kyuubi? Will our intentions only serve to fine tune a weapon against us?_

"Umino is our only possible lead right now. Teams are scattered over such a wide area even those specializing in tracking will have a hard time of it. All the hunter nin must be, pardon the pun, hunted down to be given any new orders and all of the ANBU besides my team and two others our out patrolling the border. By the time someone is able to alert them to the danger it could have already passed through to another country." Rai calmly stated. He was starting to feel stupid. Only when he actually said it he saw the flaws in the Konoha security system. With this revelation he started to see how the Hokage tower had been breached, and was ashamed. All it took was someone with a slip of skill in basic jutsu..._there's a reason the academy teaches those. Why didn't I see it before. They're so simple no one ever thinks about them, if I had paid attention to that chunin yesterday tripping on the bucket... my own superiority complex has come back to bite me._

Sarutobi stood up and walked over to the window. He lit his pipe and looked into the distance. "It looks like it's raining out in the forest. Think the scroll will become illegible?"

"If we were that lucky Hokage-sama the fox never would have attacked in the first place."

The Hokage exhaled a long stream of smoke. "I suppose that's true. The rain will only help hide his tracks. Take your team and join the search, but send updates daily. You have permission to cross the border, but only if you believe yourselves to be a day behind Naruto. Any longer requires my express permission. But, if he surrenders you are to bring him back alive."

"Hokage-sama." Rai bowed and replaced his mask. As he left the office and summoned his team he thought about one thing, the demon brat. That damn fox kit would pay for the shame he was feeling. The entirety of the ninja in the tower missed his intrusion because he had so little chakra active it completely passed beneath their notice. Hell, if the blonde brat had actively used _any_ chakra for longer than the second to do his kawarimi they would have noticed. And all the traps! He didn't even need to dodge most of them! Rai nodded to his team of four others. Frog, goat, bird, and rabbit masks all nodded in response as they jumped up and headed for the forest.

"Kanna-san, orders?" Asked the goat woman.

"Get the scroll back, use force at your own discretion but we can't go more than a day across the border."

The rabbit mask laughed. "Then we better move faster. I want to be the one to end that things miserable existence."

The frog masked ANBU clucked his tongue at his comrades words. "Neh, Huyn. Don't be so bloodthirsty. More than you want a piece of the boy. Beside's it's not healthy."

They couldn't see it because of her mask but the woman quirked a manicured eyebrow. "We are ninja, and ANBU no less. You think that's healthy?"

"I meant mentally."

"I stand by my statement." The group of five vanished into the trees as silence descended on them. Two were thinking of the mission, two were wanting the blood of a young boy, and one was strangely enough wondering if he remembered to turn off the coffee pot.

* * *

The Hokage walked out of his office and found the secretary shinobi stationed at the desk. He was a genin, likely pressed into service while the more experienced left to hunt down Naruto Uzamaki. The boy lazily glanced in Sarutobi's direction, then jumped up in surprise. Apologies spilled out of his mouth at the sight of Hokage robes.

The Third raised a hand to forestall more comments. "Calm down. You know how to use the messenger birds, yes?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, that was the first thing they taught me at this internship, Hokage-sama."

"Good, I want all chunin teams recalled and any genin teams if they are out there. Only jounin, and ANBU are to keep looking. Understood."

"Yes sir! May I ask why? It seems like overkill for one academy student." The genin turned back around after releasing the right hawks but found himself alone in an empty room. He shook his head and sat back down with his comic book.

The Third returned to his office and looked at the file sticking out of his bookshelf. It was labled 'Ne'. _It is overkill boy. But I can't take anymore chances. There just isn't enough information...Arashi I'm sorry. I should have paid more attention, village consul be damned. If Naruto is against Konoha, I can't give him time to improve. I'm so sorry Arashi. _He took off his hat and held it in his hands, absently twirling it while in thought. With a resigned sigh the old man crossed the room to his bookshelf.

Calloused fingers pulled the file from its brethren and he paced the floor. The Hokage hoped it wouldn't come down to Root. _If Naruto surrenders and hands back the Scroll of Seals we can avoid all of this. I hope he listens to reason._ Angry with himself and his mistakes Sarutobi threw down the file only to watch the papers explode into the air.

* * *

Cold drops splattered on Naruto's head. Blue eyes opened in annoyance and surveyed the small clearing he was laying in. Rain fell down all around him, drizzling in a beat that soothed his nerves. _Ouch. My head hurts. Where am I? How the heck did I get...here..._

Naruto started hyperventilating as everything that transpired the night before came crashing back to him. "I-Iruka-sensei." He whined and curled up hugging his knees to his chest. Naruto tucked himself into the slight cave made by the tree roots as he told himself to calm down. "I obviously can't go back to the village. So that's out, and I can't just give the stupid scroll away. I promised Iruka-sensei to keep it safe. What to do?"

The blonde propped the green scroll against the tree and leaned back to let the raindrops wash off him. The water soaked the area effectively drenching the boy. He smiled and stared up at the canopy, ignoring the faint stinging in his eyes from the drops. As the water flowed off him it took with it dried blood and dirt. Naruto laughed at the absurdity of it all. Fresh tears sprung from his eyes as he continued to laugh.

He clutched his stomach and rolled. The situation was so funny and stupid to him he couldn't help it. Rain continued to fall turning the ground slick with mud that soon covered the blonde. He gasped and sat up trying to get the giggles under control. "It all makes since now. The cold stares, the hate, the threats. Why did I ever want their approval?" Naruto asked himself. He tilted his head back to catch the water in his mouth and thanked whichever god looked after orphans that it was raining.

Naruto slipped off his jacket and threaded a finger through one of the holes. "Damn. This thing's all torn up, and I don't have anything to replace it." He muttered. With the unsatisfying inspection of his jacket the boy looked over the rest of his clothes only to find them in the same shape. "When life gives you lemons..."

The bottom half of the jacket was promptly ripped off. Naruto's tongue stuck out as he began a quick surgery on his clothing. The boy tore orange cloth into several strips, one of which went around his forehead in place of a forehead protector or goggles. _Iruka-sensei said this was a mission, so I'm kinda like a ninja. Maybe not official, but still._ He smiled to himself and whistled in the rain while tying together a harness for the large weight leaning on the tree. Soon he had to loops around each end of the scroll, with several strips crisscrossing the bulk to help support it. Throwing the newly constructed carrying net across his back Naruto jumped up and down testing it out. The scroll settled nicely across his lower back.

"Yup, this is much better. Now I won't have to worry so much about dropping it when I'm running." Grinning to himself he started moving north. "I hope Iruka-sensei figures out what's happening and finds me soon." Naruto cheerfully ran along the damp forest floor as the rain washed away his fears about his chosen course of action. He wasn't sure exactly where he was headed, because he never paid attention in geography, but it was an adventure. Adventures were always fun and interesting.

* * *

"I hate rain." Random chunin number one growled as he and his companion jumped through the trees. He was tempted to turn around and head back to the village but his hate for a certain blonde boy urged him on.

"We could go back you know," the other ninja remarked. The both of them jumped through the tree branches, careful to land on the dryer spots. "I saw another recalling hawk a few minutes back. We _should_ return."

"And let that thing get away? Not a chance." He whispered darkly.

"Come ooon Shingo. I don't like the rain any more than you do, we have a reason to get out of it. Lets take it. My sister is making cookies at home anyway. It's to celebrate the kids departure."

Shingo's resolve started to break. His partner's sister made really good chocolate chip cookies. "Fine, but lets go just a bit further first. If we don't see any signs of passage in the next five minutes we'll go back."

"All-right! Cookies and milk here I come!" The still unnamed chunin celebrated. Shingo rolled his eyes and kept moving. His feet hit the thick braches without a sound as they continued. Thoughts of revenge and blood ran around in his head with pictures of fresh gooey cookies.

_Damn Gurio and his cookies. I can't think proper angsty thoughts with his sister's baking stuck in my head. _Shingo lamented. The rain kept coming in a steady downpour, and he was about to suggest to his friend to head back when something caught his eye. "Hey, Gurio. What does that look like to you?" The chunin asked while pointing to several broken bushes.

"Oh, dang it. That's a trail. Guess it means we follow it." The cookie obsessed chunin said with a resigned sigh. Shingo nodded happily, and the two jumped over to the path. "Definitely came this way. There's a bit of orange fabric caught in these thorns."

Shingo's eyes went cold as they followed the impromptu trail snaking down the slope. "It's fox hunting season."

* * *

Naruto whistled to calm his still frayed nerves. _Who am I kidding? I don't have any idea where I'm going. Adventure or no it still sucks. At least the rain will slow Mizuki-sen, no Mizuki-teme, down if he got away from Iruka-sensei. _With that thought in mind the blue eyed child changed his tune to 'Singing in the Rain'. A spring added to his step as he transversed the forest floor unmindful of the danger lurking behind him.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the demon brat. Enjoying the rain like any other ungodly creature." Naruto's eyes popped as he spun around looking for the speaker. "Put the Sacred scroll down, and step away. I promise your death will be quick, but bloody. I don't want to stain the thing if I can help it."

Automatically the boy felt false confidence spring up like armor. He was so used to the act it was natural for him to talk back, even though the two chunin he faced were obviously stronger. "Yeah well, I made a promise and Uzamaki's don't go back on their word. Take it from my cold dead fingers." Naruto reached in for a kunai, one of the few he had with him, and watched the two. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, almost like a rabbits as the adrenaline began to circulate.

"Boy. I intend to. Gurio lets take this demon out." The chunin grunted to his companion who nodded.

"_Then_can we eat cookies?"

_I don't believe this! Here I am, possibly my first real fight and they're talking about cookies after my death! _Naruto gaped at the indignity of it all. He was ready to lay his life on the line and those two wanted to think about food. It made him angry and agitated his already volatile nerves. Naruto's eye twitched.

"Kyaaaa!" Shingo cried as he charged. Three shuriken went spinning from his hands as he moved, but Naruto saw them coming. He ducked to the side and rolled, then used a tree truck as a springboard to launch a kick at the murderous leaf shinobi. The chunin laughed and caught Naruto's foot, then tossed the boy over to Gurio who then punched the crap out of the blonde. "Did you honestly think you could take a chunin? Let alone two? There's no way a failure who couldn't even get through a simple genin exam could put up a challenge." Shingo was enjoying the verbal abuse immensely.

Naruto coughed and shakily stood up. "I made a promise..." The kid rushed in, and surprised that he could still move Shingo wasn't able to block the kick to his head and he went down hard. Gurio whistled in appreciation and took out several kunai from his leg holster. His mind worked over time and Naruto could practically see the steam coming from the mans ears. "I made a promise to Iruka-sensei, and not you or anyone will make me break it."

Gurio let one kunai go in Naruto's direction, and the boy started to run but slipped halfway. Sliding through the mud he almost crashed into the cookie loving chunin. The chunin in question easily jumped out of the way and tossed his other kunai at the mud covered demon vessel. Naruto bit back a scream as the metal pierced the red spiral on his jacket and dug into his back. He rolled along the ground to avoid the barrage that followed the single shot.

Shingo cursed as he got back up. His temple throbbed from the physical assault of the impossibly strong _non-ninja._ He looked up to see his partner launching kunai and shuriken at the blonde menace that was barely dodging the projectiles. Naruto was using the terrain to his advantage, a trait of his they should have known about with all the pranks he used to pull off. Bushes, rocks, and branches were employed as makeshift weapons and shields. "Damn it Shingo, if the kid would just stay still I could cream him." Gurio spat out. He had realized moments after confronting their prey the mistake the chunin had made.

The demon vessel was relatively fresh, having just woken up from a nap and not using any chakra to tree hop. The two chunin on the other hand were not, they had been burning chakra all for two days without sleep looking for any signs of the brat. They were among those that had been deployed when the Scroll of Seals had first been discovered missing. At their present state Gurio would say it might be an even fight one on one, and could turn in their favor if Shingo would just _get up._

Naruto winched as his body slammed into a boulder. "Give it up!" Shingo screamed and stomped on the blonde head. He laughed. "This is for everyone you've mocked with your mere existince!" He flipped the body over with the tip of his sandals and reached down for the now exposed scroll. "What a pathetic excuse for a life. I think I'll take this..."

Shingo was about to cut the harness from the beaten boy when a small cold had wrapped around his wrist. "I made a promise... you will NOT touch this scroll!" Naruto screamed with his second wind. He jerked the chunin toward him by the captured wrist, and reached for the kunai that Gurio had thrown earlier. His free hand plucked the blade out of his injured back and plunged it into Shingo's heart with a twist. Blood squirted out all over the young boy. Panting, the demon container kicked the body off and jumped up out of sight.

Gurio stared at his now dead partner in disbelief. _How? It should be impossible for a drop out to take an experienced ninja that easily!_ Gurio narrowed his eyes and scanned the area for his target. Distantly he heard a scream of, "Kage Bushin No Jutsu!" He bit his thumb and took out a scroll from his green vest, running the blood along the length of the paper he retrieved a pair of katana. _Damn it! All I wanted were those cookies...Usagi-chan._

Naruto was no where in sight but Gurio knew he was around. The chunin looked for the chakra signature but was surprised to not find anything substantial. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on his senses. Rain still pounded away relentlessly and Gurio was reminded once again how foolish they were to not go back when called. The rain drowned out all sound and scent. Everything he was trained to look for wasn't reliable in the downpour. _It's like nature itself is helping the brat!_

Cursing, the remaining chunin spun on his heel as his blades flashed. They deflected a brace of kunai from the foliage, but Gurio was a little slow. From seemingly every direction rocks, kunai, shuriken, and even mud balls were hurled from the surrounding trees and bushes. One shuriken grazed his leg and a rock slammed into his neck. Gurio's vision swam and his movements became jerky. More and more weapons hit their targets until he fell; the chunin hadn't noticed that the first one to hit opened up his femoral artery. He died of blood loss.

Six identical Naruto's staggered out of the surrounding brush, all were breathing hard. Five consecutive poofs of smoke signaled the departure of his clones. The blonde boy stood in the middle of the small clearing and looked up at the sky. Tears fell unseen from his eyes.

The boy shuffled to the dead weapon user and stared down at his cloudy eyes. He stood in the same spot for ten minutes, watching the blood fade into the mud. Naruto's gaze moved over the many weapons littering the ground. He kneeled down and clapped his hand together offering a prayer to his fallen opponents. That done the boy stared at the forehead protectors, considering. "What was that thing Mizuki-teme always lectured about in history? Spoils of War?"

Naruto reached down and untied the forehead protector from Gurio's corpse. He took one of the katana, sheathed it, and strung it through the net like carrying case with the Scroll of Seals. Following that he wiped off several of the thrown weapons and slipped them into his pouch. The blonde walked over to Shingo's cold body and took his forehead protector as well.

As Naruto left the battleground he took out a kunai and began carving names into the forehead protectors. "He called that one Gurio, and the other was Shingo..." Naruto rubbed his aching back as he jumped up into the tree branches. It was time to start running again. "I hope Iruka-sensei is okay."

END.


	3. Fish

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- Naruto is on the run from the searching teams of Konoha ninja. With luck he manages to take out two chunin set on killing him, and takes off to the north. ANBU and Jounin are tracking, and Naruto is slowly starting to loose himself. Only the goal of keeping the scroll safe for Iruka-sensei keeps him from breaking down completely.**

**Chapter 3: Fish**

Naruto hopped from tree to tree like a squirrel, his scroll and newly acquired sword thumping against his back with each leap. It had stopped raining an hour ago, leaving water to collect in the hollows and leaves of the higher branches. The blonde runaway climbed up carefully. Every branch had to be tested before use; he didn't know when one might snap under his weight or know the how to stick to walls like other ninja. Naruto's fingers recoiled as they came into contact with some unseen slimy and wet thing above him.

The blonde moved a bit further down the branch and began shifting his weight from side to side. A swinging motion developed and he was able to lock a leg around the tree branch and lift up. Naruto scooted on his butt back to the main trunk and braced himself against it. Between the trunk and the branch were some tree ferns, and caught in the small space were several cups of water. The demon container drank greedily, and the freezing liquid helped to calm his growling stomach. "I haven't eaten anything since lunch two days ago." He whined to no one. The boy kick the trunk as he stood up and looked around. His head swiveled almost 360 degrees to take in everything, including the sunrise in the distance. "It's really pretty...I wonder how far this is. I can't even see Hokage Mountain anymore, not even as a speck."

The boy grunted as he slid down the still damp and mossy trunk. "I'm going to need to get food soon. I just wish I knew where a town was." He grumbled as the leafy branches once again formed a ceiling for him. Naruto tightened the cloth straps around his shoulders with a quick tug and scanned the immediate area. He didn't want to be caught off guard again. _Two down... a million more to go._ Naruto tried not to ask himself if that thought was about miles, or the dead men he left behind.

His ninja sandals gripped the tree-bark easily, and the blonde had to admit after several hours of the action it was becoming a cinch to do. _Why didn't we ever practice this tree hopping back in the academy? It was hard at first but now I can do it okay...just have to watch out for any slippery spots._

Deep in the dark depths of the boy's stomach something laughed long and hard. "So much potential!" Cried a powerful voice. "So much to work with! You silly, silly mortals... I'm going to be having a lot of fun soon."

Naruto frowned at the burning that warmed his body. It radiated out from his stomach similarly to when he changed to his female alter-ego, but didn't leave as quickly. _Must be a new degree of hunger pains._

* * *

Rai and his team sped through the forest; looking like blurs that only elite jounin could distinguish. The dog masked man kept going straight ahead confident that if anything required his attention one of his subordinates would alert him. Yuukou jumped to his side and met her captains pace. "Kanna-san, I sense a small group of chunin heading this way."

Her voice was understandable but garbled by the jutsu employed when making her goat mask.

"Yes...they must be returning since the hawk's release. Turn to intercept. See if they know anything."

"Sir." She leaped back to relay their orders to her comrades. Rabbit mask was disappointed and voiced his opinion to the frog and bird but they ignored him. Orders were orders, and the demon brat couldn't possibly get far anyway. _Keh, _thought the rabbit ANBU, _he's a dead-last drop out. His worthless blood will never make it out of fire country._

* * *

Shidou always thought of himself as a simple and respectable man. He got up before the sun and made breakfast, then headed out into the general forest area to find the perfect tree to kill. It wasn't he that he had anything against plants, but everyone has to make a living somehow and Shidou followed in his fathers footsteps. It was a good life out away from the hustle and bustle of city life, setting his own hours and plans. No one ever told Shidou what to do, and he was too old to be ordered around or learn something new. Even though he enjoyed the quiet life he led it sometimes got lonely, and Shidou wished for a family like when he was growing up. More than anything he would have liked a wife and son to carry on the traditions, but no girl he knew would want to live so far from a city. _Alas dreams will be dreams..._

Picking up his three axes, one for woodwork and the other two for throwing, the forester marched out across the leaf strewn ground. His eyes scanned for the tree that sung its dying notes to him; that was big enough to merit the effort but small enough to not be troublesome. Those types of trees were getting harder and harder to find, Shidou blamed it on the ninja to the south.

The thirty something old man believed all the chakra stuff they pumped into the trees made them grow faster and stronger. _Bloody ninja...bloody hang on trees technique..._

Shidou passed by a stream filled to the brink. He glanced in it; the overflowing creak was a source of water and at times food to the woodcutter. He laughed at the fish darting from his shadow as they all tried to hide under the same log. "Heh Heh, not today little fishies. At least not now. I've got work to do." Shidou shouldered his main axe and stepped on the log in the stream. It dipped dangerously low sending panicking fish elsewhere in the process. The man reached out and caught a rope hanging not far above him. Using it to support his balance on the rocking log, he lunged forward to the opposite bank.

The woodcutter had past this way many times in the past, so far today was no different.

* * *

Naruto was having fun. After the emotional rollercoaster he'd been on the past three days the little mischief maker felt he needed some. Finding a path of hanging ropes only increased this feeling and he acted on it. Naruto firmly gripped the first old rope, and after giving it a few sharp tugs he pushed off. Trail and error proved he could use this makeshift hanging highway to travel, and it was so much more fun.

"Wooohoooo!" Naruto yelled as his ride narrowly dodged around yet another living obstacle. As the swinging rope came around again he shot a hand out and grabbed the next one in the series. His momentum from the last carried over and sent the boy shooting off into the upper braches with a gleeful yell. "I wish Iruka-sensei could see me now!"

Near the top Naruto saw that he was quickly approaching an old wooden platform at high speed. The blonde was at a loss. Should he look for another rope, let go, or try to land on the rickety stand? The decision was made for him when the rope sent him crashing into and through the structure. "Owwwww! Ow! Ow! Ow!" The blonde yelled in pain as the shock from the impact caused him to release his transportation. A thud followed by ominous creaks alerted the dense blonde to the trouble he was in.

After letting go of the rope he landed gracelessly on the remains of the old platform, which obviously hadn't aged as well as the rope system leading to it. Naruto nervously shook as he watched cracks spider out along the yellow moldy surface. All birds and bugs hushed in anticipation of what would happen. Resigned to fate, the dropout clapped his hand together in prayer. "It was good ride while it lasted, may my soul find happiness in the afterlife."

With a crunch the wood gave out and Naruto was sent hurtling to the hard ground. Wind whistled past his ears and blew back his golden hair. _I wonder if this is what it's like to fly. _The boy reached out to snag a branch, but it slipped out of his grasp leaving only a few torn leaves. _This really sucks. After all that I'm falling to my death._ He grabbed the hilt of his newly acquired sword and jerked. _I really, really don't want to die like this. It's so embarrassing. I can image what the villagers would say, 'Hey remember the Demon! He went splat! Brains scattered all over the dirt, fell out of a tree. The retard.' _Naruto growled and jammed the katana into the tree trunk with all his anger and frustration behind it. The blade bit into the wood and carved down with Naruto's continued descent, but he was starting to slow. Then the stolen blade hit a particularly hard knot. It shuddered at the impact and popped out of the tree as well as Naruto's hold. _SHIT! That almost worked too!_

The katana went spinning past Naruto and beyond the lower level of leaves. _I don't think I'll die now, but I might break some bones or something. Just great! I traded a quick death for a slow one! _The boy screamed in his mind and in the real world. "Try again."

Naruto's eyes snapped open. He heard _something_ talk to him. "Who said that? Can you help me?"

"Try again," came the whispering voice in response.

"I guess it's worth a shot..." Naruto clenched two kunai in his fists. It was good for him the trunk was getting wider the farther he fell. The kunai barely made it into the bark, but did manage to give Naruto leverage to get closer to the tree. "Didn't work. I could try grabbing, but the damn things too wide now!"

The voice answered again, "Try."

Naruto let all his rage come to the forefront. He had gathered a lot over time. He was mad at Mizuki-teme for tricking him. He was mad at the villagers for glaring at him. He was mad at the Yondaime for insuring the villagers' ire. He was mad at the Hokage for not telling him about the Kyuubi. Most of all he was mad at himself for getting in this situation. "Try this you stupid tree!" Naruto screamed and thrust his hands forward.

Impossibly sharp nails grabbed onto the bark and held fast. The blonde almost had his arms pulled out of their sockets at the sudden stop. Chips of wood rained down below him as he scrambled around the trunk to a projecting branch. Once there he kissed it, and swore never to follow suspiciously placed rope trails again.

"Oi kid! Are you okay?" Came a yell from below him.

* * *

The bird masked ANBU was the first on to meet with the returning chunin. The two chunin, a man and woman, watched the gathering special forces warily. "Hey, we just came back because of the hawks. We haven't _done_ anything to warrant you guys." The girl said stiffly.

"We aren't accusing you." Frog mask stated while putting his hands up in the 'don't shoot' position. Dog mask and goat landed on each side of him. Rabbit was circling the area while twirling a pair of kunai between his fingers.

"We just want to know if you have seen anything that way. It would be pointless for us to continue if our target isn't in the same direction." Rai asked diplomatically. It annoyed him how paranoid some ninja were about ANBU. Maybe it was the fact they were the best of the best, or maybe it was their reputation for coming _seconds_ too late. Rai didn't know or care why other shinobi got all cautious when ANBU were around but it was a major pain.

"No, but we didn't get too far before seeing the recall birds." The man answered.

"I see."

The woman fiddled with a senbon and glanced at the sky. "Actually, Shingo and Gurio haven't come back yet. I would think they would have by now."

"That's right..." The man focused his attention back on Rai who was waiting. "We left two companions further on who wanted to continue with the search. Both chunin, but neither arrived at the agreed upon revendous by the time limit we set which was an hour. That was yesterday."

"Thank you for your assistance." Goat mask gave a quick bow and followed the rest of team.

"Ne, brother. Now that I think about it, Shingo was always a little hotheaded. Do you think they got into trouble?"

The man looked at his little sister. She had graduated to chunin at the last exam and was still relatively inexperienced but had an unusual grasp of the human psyche. She mostly talked her opponents into submission. "I don't know Cho. I hope not."

Brother and sister restarted their return to Konoha. Cho was biting her lip. "I think he did. I think he lured Gurio into a fight or something and they didn't win."

"Against what? A butterfly?" He tried to lighten the mood but failed. His sister sent glares at him that could melt rock if chakra powered. "Think about it Cho-chan. It's an academy drop-out, couldn't pass the _pre-genin_ exam. Even a second year could do that if they wanted."

Cho shot him a look filled with surprise. "But brother, haven't you seen the boy work?"

"What are talking about?"

"I've been by the academy after hours, and I used to be worried that the demon vessel could wipe us out. He tries so hard...but then I heard he failed most of his classes. Think about it, he got into Hokage tower unmolested and took the scroll. When it really matters I think he pulls out all the stops." Cho sent her brother a meaningful look. He got it.

"Oh crap."

"There's a reason I studied psychology as an elective and not flower arranging. I think we have unleashed a ticking time bomb."

* * *

Naruto hung upside down from the branch by his legs. He saw a middle-aged man with an axe looking up. _No forehead protector..._ "Hiya old man!" He waved.

"Boy! You sure you're okay? You scream like a girl!"

"What! I do not! There was just this...thing! Yeah this thing some idiot built and it collapsed on me." Naruto scowled and yelled down to the man.

Shidou swung his tree cutting axe down into the ground and laughed. "Boy! I can't believe you found it!"

"Found what?" Naruto asked as he made his way down. Very carefully he jumped down to the next branch, then the next, and the next. He didn't want to take any chances at the moment. One brush with a death a day was enough for him.

"I'm guessing it was a wooden platform, about two yards across with a rope leading to it?" The man asked as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"Yeah..."

"Damn. I hadn't thought about that tree house in years."

"Tree house?"

"My old mans old man built it back when he was kid. For hunting and surveillance and stuff. You know, back when this area had ninja swarming all over it."

By the blank look on Naruto's face he didn't know. Shidou ran a hand through his hair and took a good look at the blonde. Now that he could clearly see the boy his jaw dropped. Blonde hair stuck out at odd angles, and scratches decorated most of his skin. The blonde's clothes were in even worse shape. The net-like pack attached to the kids back drew his attention, and he noticed the empty sheath strung through it.

Naruto fidgeted at the examination, he felt like one of Shino's bugs. "What?"

"Did you loose a sword?"

"Ah..." Naruto blinked. _I had a sword? Oh yeah! The one I took off of Gurio... _"Yes!" Naruto nodded.

"Good, it almost took my head off. Come over here."

Naruto followed the axe-man, his head swiveling every few steps to take in their surroundings. _No ambush that I can sense._

"So kid, what brings you out here?" Shidou asked as the two came up on the katana. It had been driven halfway into the ground.

Naruto grabbed it and tugged. After two more tries he freed it from the underground root it had stuck in. "Running away."

Shidou offered a rag to polish mud off the fine blade. "What about your parents? Won't they be worried? I know I would if my son ran away."

Naruto handed back the dirtied rag and put the katana away. "Don't have any."

"Oh. I'm sorry."_Well aren't we mister sensitive? Shidou you idiot. _"Hey, you look like crap. There's a stream about a mile away you can clean up in." Naruto's stomach chose that moment to make itself known. "And we can catch some food too."

"Really!" The blonde jumped up excitedly. "Lead the way."

Naruto followed his new friend along a narrow trail, thanking the man and talking about random stuff along the way. Shidou laughed. _If I had a son, I think I would like him to be just like this kid._

* * *

Doctors and nurses past his door quietly. They didn't want to disturb the man's sleep, but he woke up anyway. Iruka blinked and groaned. "Who turned off the lights?" Pain was coming from so many different places it was funny. _I guess that worked. Combination kawarimi and explosive notes. Instills sharp pointy objects into the blast radius. I should teach that in the next class. Why aren't the lights on?_

Iruka groaned and tried to sit up. Immediately several alarms blared in the room and nurses came rushing in. "Iruka-sensei! Don't move!" They tried to press him down to the mattress. _And it's sooo soft. Why not just relax and let them do their thing? _Another, darker voice answered this thought. _Naruto._

"Please, what happened? And why are the lights still out?"

The nurse stood very still and wrote something down on the clip board at his bedside. "I'm sorry Iruka-sensei, but it appears you're blind."

"What?"

"The blast it...it killed Mizuki-sensei and-"

"Don't call him that! He's a traitor."

The nurse nodded, and then admonished herself. Of course he couldn't see her. "It killed Mizuki and tests show that the heat, we think, it seared your retinas. You might get some sight back later, but never like it was."

"Is that all?" He asked in a whisper. Iruka Umino was exercising the vaunted self-control most teachers gained in their careers. The nurse bowed her head. It was a shame that the man would be crippled for life...but she had to tell him. It was her job, and it's not like he could see for himself.

"Your left leg, it had to be amputated from the knee down. We couldn't find two fingers from your right hand and you'll have some difficulty hearing. I'm actually talking in your ear right now."

"What about...what about Naruto?"

"The demon vessel? He's still missing."

"How long has it been?"

"Three days, about to be four."

"Thank you." Iruka relaxed and focused like he was so used to telling his students. Slowly awareness crept into him, and he sent a thin trail of chakra down his leg. It stopped. A single tear trickled out of the corner of his blind eyes. Iruka now knew where every scar and mutilation the explosion gave him was. "I have to be strong. For Naruto...if they haven't found him yet he took my words to heart. I have to find out if anyone else was working with Mizuki." The former academy teacher's eyes shut as he fell back asleep, the pain taking its toll.

* * *

Naruto was playing in the flowing water, dressed in only boxers. The water came up to his waist in most parts, and deeper in others but he didn't care. Sitting on the bank Shidou had out a portable sewing kit and was fixing some of the major tears in Naruto's pants and jacket. He shook his head at the younger boy's antics, laughing when he slipped on a rock and plunged beneath the surface for a second.

"Hey! Old man it's not funny!" Naruto shouted when he resurfaced. His hair was plastered against his head, giving him an aristocratic appearance.

"Yes. Yes it is." Shidou answered. He flicked the jacket out and ran his finger along the bottom. The man's gaze wondered between the orange jacket and the scroll lying next to him. _I wonder what that is. He seems very protective of it._

"Take this! Water paddle no jutsu!" Naruto slammed his palm against the water and sent it splashing to Shidou, who jumped up and cursed. Naruto pointed and laughed, his mirth soon infected Shidou and they were both smiling. Naruto walked close to the bank and leaned over so his elbows were supported by the grassy overhang. "Hey, you said there would be food here too, Shidou-san."

"Oh that's right... I did, didn't I, boy?"

"My name's Naruto. N-A-R-U-T-O." He enunciated exaggeratedly. Shidou slipped his needle through the thin leather of his vest and waded into the stream next to the half dressed boy.

"Okay, I'm going to teach you something my father taught me and his father taught him." The man said solemnly as he slipped off his vest and shirt and dropping them on the bank. "It's very important, so watch me and don't move. Understood?"

Naruto nodded and sat on a rock. The water reached his chin and tickled his nose but his attention never wavered. Shidou moved slowly at first, he stuck his arms under the water and froze. Minutes trickled by, and Naruto was beginning to get impatient. "Ha!" The woodcutter yelled and tossed something up on the bank with a great splash. Blue eyes widened more than ever before as they watched the big trout flop around helplessly on the ground where it landed. "And that boy is the great art of noodling."

"Like ramen noodles? Did you use ramen as bait? You had ramen and didn't tell me!"

Shidou waved his arms in the air to try and stop the questions that kept being fired at him by the hyper blonde. "No. Not like ramen noodles. Catching fish barehanded, it's just called noodling! Calm down and help me put this thing on a fire."

"Yay! Food!" Naruto jumped out of the stream and ran into the brush to locate some fallen branches. There were plenty nearby from his earlier fall and he was determined to capitalize on it. Shidou took a bare wooden spear from under a bush and washed it in the water. He said a quick prayer for the spirit of the fish, and then ran it through with the small cooking spear. Naruto came running back with a small pile of wood and began to stack them up, but was stopped by Shidou's hand.

"Not like that boy. You did say you were running away, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if you place the wood like that, it'll smoke more. Try this." He rearranged the branches, throwing out some and adding others. "It'll burn faster, but produce less smoke. Smoke that could alert the enemy to your presence."

Naruto took his thinking pose, while the man placed the fish over the fire. "How do you know this? Are you a ninja, Shidou-san?"

"Naw." Shidou muttered and dropped back into the water. "It's part of the trade. Got to know what wood is good for smoking, what doesn't and what burns fast. If the people want to buy wood that crackles, I find it. If they want a wood that smells nice as burns, I get it. Simple. Now get in here, I'm going to show you how to noodle while that sucker cooks."

* * *

Rai's team picked up the pace as the smell of blood hit them. They didn't have long to wait, two more tree jumps and they froze. "Oh...why didn't we smell it earlier?" The woman asked as she surveyed the scene.

"Must be the two chunin those others were talking about. What happened to them? It looks like they just dropped dead." Bird mask commented as he looked down at Gurio's corpse.

"Their forehead protectors are gone." Frog mask observed. He knelt down and they all heard him gasp.

"What is it, Kimi?" Rai asked as he walked over to his subordinate. The frog ANBU pointed to the body of Shingo. Surprise and a little confusion was evident in his garbled voice.

"This was no accident. Look. He was stabbed through the _heart_. Whoever did it had to have gotten in close if the twisted muscle means anything. And that one," he waved over to Gurio, "has multiple cuts and bruises. We aren't dealing with an idiot here. Either whoever did it had more luck than humanly possible, or is an experienced and deadly force. We didn't see it because the rain must have washed most of the blood away."

Hyun, the rabbit masked, delicately picked up a katana. "I recognize this maker. He usually does jobs like these in pairs. The other must have been taken by the victor."

"Possibly." Rai agreed. _Did the demon do this? It seems impossible, but he is a demon. _

"Kanna-san!" The goat masked woman called from the other end of the scene. "I found some faint signs of a trail leading away. The rain washed most of it, but I can make out some rookie mistakes. No doubt it's our target. I think we are one, two days at most behind."

The dog masked ANBU clenched his fist in irritation. "Hyun, you return to Konoha and inform the Hokage of this development. Then wait for us to come back."

"What! But, Kanna-san, you know I want this." Rabbit mask coldly stated.

"I do. But the fact is no matter how good you are, I can't have you jeopardizing this mission. As soon as we get close ten to one says you'll blow cover and try to take it on alone. Look around. If it could do this, we are dealing with an unknown variable. ANBU don't do unknown. We are going to track, watch, and _then_ take it out."

"I understand." Rabbit mask whispered and left.

"Boss, you think you were a little hard on the guy?" Frog questioned.

"Perhaps, but he's young. He'll deal with it. Yuukou, you lead."

The woman jerked up and leaped into the trees. The rest followed. "As you can see whoever passed this way, demon vessel or not, obviously isn't using chakra to balance on the branches."

"God. That takes a ridiculously large amount of stamina to keep up." Bird whispered in mild shock.

"Yeah, I know. Best part is this trail seems to be going for miles. North."

Rai, feared captain of ANBU and part-time restaurant owner, was very glad of the mask concealing his expression. "North? That's Rice Field country...and the Sound." A long forgotten feeling settled in the pit of Rai's stomach. It was dread.

* * *

Naruto sat by the fire watching the visible patches of sky turn orange and purple through the canopy. He giggled as the cold gooey feeling tickled his skin. "Shidou-san, what are you doing?"

The woodsman set down a small jar of ointment. "If you must know, boy. I'm putting this ointment on all those blasted cuts so they don't get infected. Now hold still." He smeared some of the stuff over Naruto's exposed back and whistled. "What the heck do you do for fun? Is falling out of trees the only way to get kicks or something. There's a scar just missing your spine as thick as my finger."

"Really? I didn't know... why are you doing all this?" Naruto asked innocently. His eyelids gained weight of their own accord and began to pull down. Now that he was warm, feed, and relaxed the past few days activities were adding up. Sleep was calling.

_He wants to know why I'm helping. What did they do in that village? No wonder he wants to run away._ "I guess my conscience wouldn't like it if I just left you alone." Shidou said and dipped his fingers back into the jar.

"What's a conscience?" Naruto yawned.

Shidou paused in his ministrations trying to come up with an answer. _This must be what it's like to have kids, always asking uncomfortable questions._ "Well, a conscience is something that tells you when something is wrong, and tries to get you to fix it."

"Like a voice?"

"I suppose. Do you have a voice?"

"I don't know...but something tells me to try."

"That's good advice, I'd listen to it." The forester pillowed his own leather vest under Naruto's head and draped the boy's jacket over him. "You look wiped, kid. Go to sleep."

"Will you be here in the morning?"

"Sure, I'll see you off. It's not like I've never camped out before."

"Thank you..." Naruto whispered as he fell asleep. Soft snores issued from his mouth and Shidou chuckled. _This is the most fun I've had in years. Thank you Naruto._

* * *

Aoba Yamashiro scowled as darkness prevented him from going any farther. He was tracking the demon vessel, and wasn't more than an few hours behind. "Shit." He scowled and moved to the ground. He was a jounin, and stupid mistakes he was _not_going to make. Aoba slipped off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes.

He settled down and decided to get some sleep, the vessel wasn't likely to be moving at night and he wasn't going to attack at this rate. Only headstrong idiots would attack in the darkness against unknown variables. Aoba smiled grimly. _I'll get the scroll back. If it resists, I'll just have to kill it. _The jounin stabbed a kunai into his tree and glanced up at the moon. _I'll do it. They all say I got jounin by luck, but it wasn't luck. It was brains. I out strategized them all, and I'll do it again._

END.


	4. Luck

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- The ANBU team has dicovered the bodies of Shingo and Gurio. They are on to Naruto's trail and have re-evaluted their danger level of their mission. Naruto meanwhile meets a nice man who teaches him a few things, and starts hearing a voice. Iruka wakes up in the hospital to find he has injuries that would cripple a normal ninja for life. Throughout all this a single jounin gets dangerously close to the demon vessel.**

**Chapter Four: Luck**

Naruto could sleep through almost anything. This had been proven on the multiple occasions when drunks would try to break into his apartment. Despite all the hassle Naruto was proving to be in the early morning, Shidou was not to be discouraged. Yelling had not worked, nor had shaking or the smell of burning wood under the boy's nose. The woodcutter decided it was time to activate plan C.

He grabbed the blonde's ankles and dragged the still sleeping boy over to the stream, which had gone down quite a bit during the night. As usual Shidou had woken before the sunrise with only embers to guide him. He dunked Naruto headfirst into the cold water. "Ahhh! Stupid old man! What was that for?!"

Many birds screeched in protest at the sudden shout and flapped off. A few miles away a single jounin cracked an eye open and grinned.

* * *

Rai's team woke quickly and ate. They had stopped an hour after the sun had set the night before, and would have gone farther if Yuukou hadn't admitted she feared leaving the trail. Dog mask watched his remaining team members with a careful eye. The night of rest did them good, they were ANBU but they got tired just as much as any other ninja. Traveling hard for two days normally wouldn't have been a problem. _Are we getting soft without wars? Is that reason we could be so easily defeated? Most of my team wasn't in the war with the stone... and those that were had only been genin at the time. _

"Kanna-san? There's enough light to see the trail now. We can continue when you're ready." Frog mask stated from an overhanging branch.

"Yeah. Let's go. Yuukou?" The woman jumped up and returned to her previous leading position.

The group of five had been tree hopping quickly for about an hour when Yuukou raised her arm. Frog and bird slinked away into the trees to check for traps and the like while the captain approached his tracker. "What is it?"

The goat masked ANBU brushed her hand across the tree branch the two were perched on. "Another has found the trail and is following it. They came from the east, in what I am assuming was an arc. Juding by the faint smudges on the moss, it's a single person. Either chunin or jounin."

"This does not effect our mission. If they have already found and taken the demon it makes it easier for us. If not...we will just pass them up."

"So we continue?"

"Right." Frog mask joined up with them as they headed deeper into the forest. "Kanna-san, Yuukou-san, I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

"Not scared of a twelve year old are you?" The woman joked as she flipped over a large obstacle.

"Not that, but, I don't know how to describe it."

Rai pursed his lips. _Sometimes I hate being the leader. _"I know how you feel. But we have to take it down. We are ANBU, the Hokage is counting on us."

* * *

Iruka blinked his eyes, and the expected-but-not-believed darkness greeted him. _Naruto, I hope you're safe._ He took several deep breaths and waited for the pain to subside. He could have taken the painkillers, but they would dull his mind as well and Iruka didn't want that. _I can't let this beat me. I have to...adapt. Find a way around this._

The chunin grunted as he sat up; his back felt like it was on fire. He delicately brushed his fingertips around the bed and found the end table. There was a small picture of water and a glass which he filled after spilling a little onto the floor. "Dammit, if only I could see. Everything else is possible but, damn you Mizuki. I hope you are rotting in hell." He bit out angrily after chugging the water.

A nurse poked her head in. "Do you need anything Iruka-sensei?" She sighed at the sight of the spilt water and stepped in with a towel. "If you need something just press the button located near the pillow. It's fairly big so you shouldn't have trouble finding it." The woman knelt down and started mopping up the clear liquid.

Iruka turned his head in the direction of the voice. He was barely catching it, it sounded like someone was talking through a mouth full of cotton balls. "Excuse me?"

"I said, oh," The woman just caught sight of the clipboard attached to the end of his bed. "Sorry." She opened the window and twisted her dripping towel. Water squeezed out of the cloth and smacked an unsuspecting doctor below. She giggled and sat on the bed. "Iruka-sensei, there's a button you can press for assistance by your pillow." Her voice rose to accommodate her near-deaf patient.

"Oh. Okay." He sounded so depressed the nurses loving heart just couldn't take it. _Why do they have to be brought down in the prime of life! He was a teacher! A teacher! By all rights he never should have been in a combat situation._ She wrapped her arms around the blind man in a hug.

"You know, they say when one sense leaves the others increase to make up for it. It's not much I know but, you can always try, right?" She said hopefully with her arms still locked around Iruka.

Iruka was frozen. When the nurse hugged him he was thankful for her care, but then flashes of light bombarded his supposed ruined eyes. His mouth opened in shock and pain yet no sound came out. Slowly, as if he was watching everything through a heat sensitive lens vague outlines of shapes took form. Directly in font of him he could see a blue human like blur cock her head to the side.

"Iruka-sensei, are you okay? Do you need me to go get some morphine?" She asked concerned.

Then it was gone. Iruka slumped as she let go and headed for the door. _What was that?_ He racked his brain for any ideas, and for some reason thought about the Hyuuga that graduated this year and Naruto. _Was I, was I seeing chakra? Is that possible without a byakugan? But using the white eyes takes concentration. It doesn't just randomly activate like a sharingan. _Iruka put his hands together in the ram seal to help focus his energy. _Lets try this theory out, shall we?_

Chakra flow increased as Iruka started to sweat. He was still in recovery and actively trying an unknown jutsu was an idiotic thing to do. _This is something Naruto would do. _Iruka laughed at himself trying to ignore the pain shooting through his system. The nurse paused at the door and looked back at the chunin who was starting to scare her. "Iruka?"

The chunin concentrated. _What was I thinking when she hugged me? I was worrying about Naruto, like always. But there had to be something else. Hope? No, relief. She said other senses increase, my ability to sense chakra increased! That's it! _Iruka grinned and turned to the nurse shaking in the doorway. "Hey, it's okay."

He could see her, faintly. Blue energy radiated off of her and bounced off the floor and walls, making them visible as well. Iruka swiveled his head around and saw the even fainter light of the flower sitting in a vase. He smiled and fell back, letting his chakra dissipate before he burned out. _Now I have a way to see, but to really be useful I need practice. _

"Miss?" He asked tiredly.

"Y-yes, Iruka-sensei?"

"Could you find me a leaf?"

"I suppose."

"Thanks." Iruka smiled happily. He wasn't a Hyuuga, no way he'd ever be able to gentle fist someone, but his new skill was enough. _If only it didn't take so much energy to pull off. Back to the basics, I'll need to fine tune my control and increase my capacity tons if I hope to be an effective ninja again. But it is possible._

* * *

"So this is it, old man?" Naruto said through a mouthful of roasted fish. He was pointing at a dot on the stained yellow map Shidou had given him.

"I'm thirty-seven, I'm not old. And yes, that's the closest village not in fire country. The town of Takara." Shidou blushed and murmured something Naruto was having trouble making out.

"What was that?"

"Itsamajorbrotheltown. Just be careful, and don't accept candy from strangers or follow anyone into dark alleys. You should be fine if you don't stick around too long." The woodsman grinned and ruffled the short boy's hair. "Now just head straight north, you'll get to a big valley. Go past it for a few miles till you hit the road, the map can direct you after that."

Naruto jumped up and wrapped his arms around Shidou's neck. His hair tickled the man's nose causing Shidou's face to scrunch up. The blonde disengaged seconds before he sneezed. "Just get little boy!" Shidou mocked as he rubbed his nose.

"I'm not little!" Naruto yelled and spun around. He jumped up onto a low hanging branch and waved good-bye to his friend. "Bye Shidou-san!" Loaded down with a days supply of roasted fish and new canteen of water the small boy forged his tree born path. Shidou watched him until is orange clad form became too distant to make out in the dim morning light.

"Have a good life, Naruto-kun." The man sighed and picked up his axes. _I never found that tree. _He crossed the significantly lower stream back to his small cabin, listening to the peaceful notes of birdsong.

* * *

Aoba dropped to the ground and surveyed the premises. A large patch of slick grass was visible by the bubbling creak, and the remains of a fire still smoked. The jounin tilted his tinted glasses down and frowned. "Two trails leading away, one in the trees the other on the ground. It appears the demon has found an accomplice. What to do?" Aoba asked himself.

He kicked at the ashes of the cook fire and found tiny thin bones. Further searching concluded there had been two of them camping here, and the jounin scowled. _I can't believe that demon found help. I better locate this other person and see if they know any useful information._

The jounin charged off following the well worn path on the forest floor. Birds screeched at his sudden passage, and bugs whirled angrily when the human disturbed their homes. He wasn't staying on the path, the hunter preferred to run alongside it so he could see if anyone was walking toward him on it. This caused many of the creatures who expected the men to not stray from the dirt road to protest. Some squirrels bombed the jounin with nuts and small twigs, ants and other stinging insects swarmed. Aoba started to suspect something when the sparrows and crows started diving at him. "What the hell!"

_I don't have time for this! Blasted crazy animals! _ Aoba brought his hands together and began running through seals. He raised his head to face a group of bees and birds, "Katon: Gokaikyu no jutsu!" A quick stream of fire flowed from his mouth and incinerated the creatures. All chattering and squeaks stopped leaving only the soft thumping of the jounin's feet against the ground.

Five cooked bird bodies hit the dirt behind the jounin followed by a rain of still burning insects. The animals did not like the human invading their territory, but they couldn't do anything about it. He was one of_those_ humans. Yuck. Up on one of the thinner branches a squirrel turned to her mate for the season, "Ne, Suki. What what?"

The bushytailed rodent rapidly scratched behind an ear and squeaked out, "Thump thump!"

She bobbed her head up and down, then leaped to a neighboring tree. The female squirrel ran through the trees like a madwoman, squeaking out orders to everyone who would listen. Slowly the stunned creatures of the forest tore their eyes away from the crispy bodies on the ground. They gathered around the tree Suki the squirrel sat in primping his tail. "Ne! What what, persons bad bad bad."

Gathered animals chorused in agreement. Many hares thumped their back feet against the wood creating a deep drum beat. It had an odd affect of making the normally hyper and happy animals solemn. A blue jay chirped for the floor, and was given it. "No reeeegaurd for uuus! No reeeegaurd. Not liiiike otheeers! Striiiike back!" The little bird hopped around. Many of the animals sang agreement.

"Ne! Bad bad! Forget? Fire fire!" The squirrel shook a claw at his nemesis. Squirrels and birds normally had hostile relations, with the birds winning most conflicts. Suki didn't want the birds thinking they could be arrogant, it was five of their own that got toasted.

"O, right. Whot, something should be done. But Whot? We con't do much ogonist humons who spit _fire!_" One of the younger hares called from below.

"Callcallcallcallcallcallcallcallcall." Came a group of termites. Each different colony of insects could have its members speak at the same time, and frankly it scarred the crap out of the other animals. They shrieked and jumped away only to come back after calming down.

A sparrow hopped down and stared at the several hundred termites curiously. "Whyyy do youu care? Who wouuuld weee call?"

"Treestreestreestrees. Manmanmancutstreesforforforus. Callcallcallcallcall." The insects thrummed.

"Ogoin, who con we coll on?" A brown hare asked as it's ears flicked in irritation.

Suki chattered nonsense words for several minutes in annoyance before he calmed down enough to be understandable. "Others others! Thump!" He was pointed south, in the direction of the human settlement known as Konoha. Several animals gasped in shock.

"That's a human colony! It's dangerous!" Cried an opossum in dismay.

The female squirrel beamed the nay-sayer in the head with a nut. "Thump thump knowers! Thump! Learn learn! Back back back!"

A large shadow swept across the small creatures gathered and sent shivers down the spines of those that saw it. They would have broken for cover under normal circumstances, but this meeting was not normal. With a crunch sharp talons sunk into the rough bark. "I for one, thinks it's a great idea." Whispered the newly arrived falcon. His voice was deep and put the small mammals on edge.

Out of the shadows a lithe form slipped in between the hares. "I second that." A thin red fox growled. Her lips were pulled back showing two rows of sharp white teeth. "I never liked the humans in that burrow."

"Your people ore going to help?" Asked a bewildered bunny.

The falcon laughed. "Of course, I've got a niece stuck in there... lets get planning."

As the talks (or thumps if you were a squirrel) continued the smaller mammals paid no heed to the removal of the bird bodies by two other foxes. Such was the food chain. Some wild deer showed up along with boar and a bear. Suki smiled at his mate, things were going much better than he had thought they would.

* * *

Shidou sipped some lemonade in his kitchen, happily thinking about the brief but entertaining time he had with the blonde boy. _Maybe I should go into town this month? Jani has always been partial to me, and though she's plain looking I'm sure she'd love the chance to practice her healing arts on the animals. Grandmother used to do that when no one would test out her potions. _The brown haired man reminisced about the old days when his family was whole. He had been brought up to respect certain things, animals and Sunday morning were two of them. Shidou scowled when someone banged on his cabin door.

He stomped across the room and jerked open the door. "What! Do you have any idea what time it is!" He yelled at the man standing on his porch. Shidou glared menacingly, but didn't do a very good job. _Crap. It's a ninja. _

"I'm from Konoha, Mr..." the ninja trailed off. Shidou never stopped glaring; he didn't know why anyone would be wearing sunglass-goggle things at seven a.m. in a forest. He thought they looked even stupider on the man than Naruto's orange jumpsuit did on him.

"Shidou. Get the hell off my property." He growled. One hand inched toward the throwing axe beside the doorframe.

Aoba stiffened and whispered in a threatening tone. "Shidou-san, I know you were harboring a small boy. Blonde. Where is he?" The jounin let just a little killing intent flare at his words.

Shidou shrugged of the intimidation technique with little difficulty. His old man had a much more effective way of scaring people. He would split apples down the middle barehanded, it wasn't too difficult to imagine the fruit as your head. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I don't know what game you think you're playing wood cutter, but that boy is a dangerous demon and thief. It would be in your best interests to comply."

Shidou took a swig of his lemonade. "Suppose, just suppose I knew where this kid was. What would you do with him?"

Aoba lowered a hand down to his leg pouch. "We would hunt the demon down, and kill him. Where. Is. He."

Lemonade shot out of Shidou's glass as he flipped it at the jounin. Aoba cursed and wiped at the stinging drink with one hand while slashing up with the other. "If he's a demon then I'm a death god." Shidou spat as he jumped back to avoid the kunai.

The woodsman plucked his throwing axes from their places by the door and rolled back. The jounin stumbled in the small cabin trying to blink away the citrus liquid and fight at the same time. Shidou knocked a kunai from the air and chopped down. He missed and hit his small table, breaking it in two. Books and plates crashed to the wood flooring, shattering pottery and scattering papers. Aoba finally wiped the irritating lemonade away and sent a punch at the man protecting the demon vessel. _He's in league with the nine-tails, traitor to fire country!_

Shidou hooked his axe around the jounin's elbow and jerked, he learned much from street fights. Aoba's arm flew back towards it's owner. The jounin dipped to avoid an axe to the head and kicked out. Shidou felt his breath rush out as his knees connected with the floor. He rolled and barely missed the kunai heading for his throat.

Shidou was no idiot; he knew the only thing keeping him alive was that the close quarters of his cabin restricted the ninja's movement. He rolled along the ground, tossing one of his axes as he did so. It spun through the air and managed to clip Aoba's arm. _Damn he's fast._ Shidou scrambled to get up and out of the way. He was too close to the door! When did that ninja get him over here!

Aoba flipped a short stool into the air with his foot and kicked at the woodsman with some chakra. The chair plowed into Shidou and knocked him out into the yard. He coughed up some blood and stood shakily. _I don't blame the kid for running. _

The two exchanged blows for a minute, Shidou was clearly getting his butt handed to him. The jounin was playing with him. The combatants wandered out into the surrounding trees, none of them noticed the way squirrels and birds avidly watched the exchanged. "Tell me where the brat went." Aoba ordered as he held a kunai to Shidou's throat.

"No." Shidou spun faster than Aoba expected, the woodsman intentionally cut his own throat. It was a shallow cut luckily, and he brought his remaining axe to bear on the ninja. It connected with a crack. _Crack? That sounds like I hit wood._

The woodsman cursed every ninja to ever live as he saw his perfect shot get nullified by the substitution technique. His axe would have cut Aoba in two, but instead struck a log and buried itself in the wood. Aoba hit the man in the back of the head and he crumpled. "Stupid man." Aoba murmured and leaped away. _I can't believe I wasted so much time._

* * *

"Diiiid youuu seeee that?" A little robin chirped at it's companion. The two song birds were perched in the lower branches of a tree, staring at the unconscious human.

"Yeeeees!" The other relied. "Poof! Heeee made a wood apeeear to take the hiiiit!"

"Reeeport! Reeeeport! Weee neeeeed to reeeport thiiiis!"

* * *

Up in Hokage tower an old man rubbed his temples. He was getting too old for this, fighting he could do but politics and paperwork were a pain the ass. Something was coming soon, he felt it. There would be a great disruption in the balance of...something. Call it the force, call it balance of power, but the third Hokage felt a great warning ripple through his being. "What is going on out there?" He asked his window.

"Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi turned to the ANBU waiting behind him. "Did Rai's team return already? Where's the boy?"

"No." The Hokage winced at the bitterness in the shinobi's voice. "I was sent back to report the findings of two dead chunin. Captain Rai and the others are following the culprits trail. Suspected to be the demon container."

"Naruto took out two chunin?" The old man asked with a healthy dose of disbelief.

"It's what Rai thinks."

"Thank you. Dismissed." _Naruto, how could you kill them? What drove you to do it? _Saruobi felt his eyes drift back to the collection of files on the disbanded organization. _Will you force my hand Naruto, or is it not you but the fox that's making me feel uneasy? Is your seal weakening?_

* * *

Naruto jumped down from the last tree before the valley and gasped. A waterfall thundered as it fell into a large basin lake. Two larger than life statues of ninja stood facing each other on opposite side of said water fall. Naruto took in the sight and let happiness fill him up. It was one of the most amazing places he had ever seen. The water sparkled beautifully in the afternoon sun and Naruto was tempted to slip off his clothes and dive from one of the statues.

The blonde reached into his carrying harness and slipped out the rolled up map Shidou let him have. He traced the border of fire country with his finger before resting at what he assumed was his spot. "Valley of the End, huh. End of what?"

"Isn't it obvious?" An angry voice answered over the roaring of the waterfall.

"Shit!" Naruto turned to face the unknown voice, kunai in hand. "Who the heck are you!" _Ninja, why don't they leave me alone?_

"I'm Aoba Yamashiro. Jounin. Now be a good little demon vessel and hand over the scroll. Come back to Konoha with me, I'm sure they won't punish you too much being a minor and all." Aoba crossed his arms and watched Naruto fidget. He finally caught up to the brat and could do what he wanted. Get the scroll, lure him into a false sense of security, and then kill it. Simple. Clean. Effective.

Naruto crouched low, unconsciously raising the kunai in font of him. He steadied the scroll with one hand never taking his gaze from the jounin. "No. I can't give you the scroll, and I am not going back without Iruka-sensei's okay."

"Pah. Iruka is as good as dead. Blew himself up. Now hand it over."

Naruto froze. _Iruka-sensei...dead? But...but...no...nonononono! _The blonde started screaming. "No! You're lying to me! Just like you always have! All of you just lie to me! Shut up and go!" Naruto twirled the blade in his fingers as tossed it blindly.

"If that's the way you want it." Aoba scowled. _I guess that means plan B. Beat the little piece of crap to a bloody pulp._ He ran forward sending quick kicks and punches at the demon vessel. Naruto tried to dodge, but the jounin was _much_ faster than the two chunin had been. He felt every single blow as they connected.

Naruto was tossed backwards by the onslaught and started coughing up blood. He held his side and felt his ribs, if they weren't broken then they were cracked. Aoba tossed several shurinken with accuracy that left many others green with envy. The spinning stars sliced right through the straps holding the Scroll of Seals to Naruto's back and sent it hurtling off the cliff. "Now that that's out of the way," he grinned and started forming handseals. "Katon: Gokaikyu no Jutsu!"

Hot flames shot of the jounin's mouth. Naruto watched them come closer as if in slow motion, sore and aching when he heard a familiar voice whisper in his ear, "Move!" Naruto stepped back. His heel caught on a small pebble causing him to loose balance and fall over the ledge and into the valley. He plummeted quickly and the fire attack didn't even singe his hair. His blue eyes scanned the area, and he noticed his scroll had landed up on the bank barely missing the lake.

Aoba cursed and looked over into the valley. The boy hit the water with a loud smack and disappeared. He jumped down onto the water, waiting for it to surface for air.

Naruto curled into a ball and let himself sink. The voice was still with him. "Boy. You have to move. You will drown here if you don't move." Seeing no reaction from the huddled child the voice tried another tactic. "Are you going to break your promise?" The boy twitched. "That man is going to take the scroll if you don't stop him. Do you want to break your promise to Iruka?"

"No!" Naruto shouted and bubbles spilled out his mouth. He pumped his arms to get to the surface. _I'm not going to break my promise! Never ever! I'm not going to lose to this, this liar! Iruka-sensei is not dead!_

Naruto's blonde head broke the surface, took a breath, and immediately dived again. He had to avoid the rain of fireballs coming at him. He kicked his legs hard toward the bank, a feeling of unfairness settling on him. _Why does he get to walk on the bloody water! I'll show him. I'm going to, to, to._ "Kill him." Supplied the voice helpfully.

Aoba tracked the shadow to the shallower waters. He clapped his hands together and smiled as he target scrambled up on the bank. "You should feel honored boy. I'm going to use a jutsu I haven't perfected yet. Suiton: Syryuudan no Jutsu!"

Water rose up and shifted into a vaguely serpent like guise. "I admit it isn't perfect but it more than enough for a drop out demon." Aoba held two kunai at the ready as he watched his semi-dragon charge the recovering boy. He doubted Naruto would survive but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The water construct quickly over powered the orange clad boy, and Aoba congratulated himself a little too early. He jumped to the bank to check the body as protocol stated, but didn't find it. The Scroll of Seals sat in the demons place. Aoba raised an eyebrow. _Kawarimi eh? Now where is he?_ Aoba did a three sixty and took an involuntary step back. Over fifty Naruto's stood breathing hard, each an identical copy of the other. _I must not have heard him perform it over the combined sounds of the waterfall and my dragon._ "You think you can beat me with illusions? Idiot."

One of the Naruto's grinned madly and Aoba swore he saw a pair of fangs in the kids mouth, but that wasn't important. At the first Naruto's signal half the clones charged forward. Aoba stood in place. "I told you brat, you can't beat me wi-" Aoba's rant was cut off as his head snapped to the side from one of the clones kicks. _THE HELL? HE CAN DO SHADOW CLONES!!_

To his credit Aoba did remarkably well against such large numbers, he spun and jumped like a madman. Every time he got a solid hit the clone popped away. Aoba had nearly cleared the field when he saw something to give him pause. Before him was the hottest woman he ever saw. Twin ponytails and sparkling blue eyes...eyes he could get lost in. Then the sudden pressure on his arms and legs drew him back to reality.

On each limb two Naruto clones had latched on. "Don't stare at Nee-chan pervert!" One of them criticized. Aoba couldn't move. The formerly angelic looking woman walked over, clouds covering all the important bits.

"You can't make me break my promises." Her voice was filled with so much loathing and hatred Aoba knew it was the end. He didn't even know who she was, but this angel of death was going to kill him. She cocked her fist back and punched the jounin in the stomach. He flew back into the water taking the eight Naruto clones with him.

Aoba struggled against his captors, but they bit and clawed at the jounin in retaliation. He managed to hit one hard enough to dispel it, but another from the surface dived in and took it's place. The shadow clones dragged him to the bottom, existing however long they could and immediately being replaced.

Up on the bank the naked and female Naruto was sweating in exertion. Her fingers were held in a cross shape as she stood. Every few seconds she yelled, "Kage bushin no Jutsu!" Two explosions of smoke would then reveal two shadow clones that would jump into the lake to replace one exterminated by the jounin or that had run out of air. Naruto glared at the surface of the water.

She had received word by mental thoughts the jounin had died, but she wasn't taking chances. "Kage bushin no Jutsu!" Another pair of _male_ clones dived in. Naruto might have wondered why they didn't appear in her female form like herself, but she didn't. She concentrated on her goal. Four more groups went down before the blonde woman let herself collapse.

Twelve clones swam up and to the bank. They flipped off their jackets and wrung them out. "Nee-chan?" One asked Naruto and offered a cooked fish. Female Naruto thanked the clone and lay back on the sand. She was wiped and didn't even have the energy to change back or dismiss her 'brothers'. They seemed to wander for a bit before heading off to scout the perimeter.

"You did good." The barely there voice said.

Naruto watched the body of the jounin float up. "Are you my conscience?"

"...yes." The voice hesitated at first but then sounded smug.

"Okay. That's good."

The clone appointed clone watcher sat next to his creator. "Nee-chan, do you want his forehead protector?"

Naruto thought about it. _I took Shingo's and Gurio's...might as well take them all._ "Yeah."

He stood up and followed the floating corpse. Clone Naruto hopped along some boulders with the real Naruto watching his progress. She hadn't know they could be so independent. It was cool. "That is because we are special." The voice whispered.

Shadow Naruto knelt down where Aoba's body stopped and untied his forehead protector. He grabbed a senbon out of the man's pouch and started carving into the metal. "His name was Aoba, right Nee-chan?"

"Uh-huh." Naruto decide to rest for a few minutes before tackling the climb up. She would even stay in girl form, because it had a longer reach, and let her clones remain till they ran out of chakra. They deserved it. "Conscience, what's that red light around my ribs?"

"It's nothing. Ignore it."

"If you say so...Shidou-san said you gave good advice."

END.


	5. Rice

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- Shidou got beat down by Aoba, who in turn was drowned by Naruto at the Valley of the End. Rai's ANBU are gaining ground. The Hokage fears he will have to reinstate Root if Naruto's killing continues. Iruka's ability to sense chakra has improved above and beyond what was previously thought possible, so much so he can see it without someone activly manipulating their chakra. While all this happens, the forest creatures closer to the border are gathering and they are not pleased.**

**Warning- This chapter contains hints of yaoi and pedophilia, but nothing actually happens. I wouldn't torture my characters like that.**

**Chapter Five: Rice**

Naruto walked into the medium sized town easily. It had no guards, and the people were loose and relaxed. The dirt roads looked paved from the years of crowds, shops and brightly lit buildings lined each side. Food and drink stalls set up in the middle of the road with their owners crying out to the pedestrians. Naruto felt himself slowly spin as he walked, his eyes eagerly took in the new amazing sights. People wore all sorts of things he didn't see in Konoha. Women stood around with white faces and painted eyes, a few men also decked themselves out in girl's clothes. It was confusing to the demon vessel but he decided to ignore it. The voice had told him ignore strange and confusing things; it made life easier.

"Ramen! Best ramen in Takara!" Someone yelled out down the street.

Ears twitched and Naruto followed the sound of the angel. He looked beside him at the last of his clones; the rest had run out of chakra before reaching the town. "Do you want some?" He asked his clone. Naruto had tried talking to his conscience earlier but it was suspiciously absent, so he assumed it only came out when he needed it. On the plus side his shadow clones were able to hold an intelligent conversation and knew everyone he did, so there was never any confusion. The only annoying thing was he couldn't get them to stop calling him Nii-kun or Nee-chan.

"Sure, Nii-kun." The clone smiled and skipped ahead to reserve a spot at the ramen booth. Naruto shrugged. It felt weird having someone call him brother. Even if it the person was essentially himself, it was _nice_. Almost _pleasant._

"I wonder if this could be considered a mental disorder? Iruka-sensei said he thought I might have ADD before..." Naruto asked himself at the bar. As expected his clone had ordered for the both of them and the hot noodles were waiting when Naruto sat down. He eagerly slurped up the food not caring if the broth dripped from his chin.

"It's not the same thing, Nii-kun. At least, I don't think it is." His clone answered humbly around mouthful of noodles. He was having pork flavored.

The original blonde grunted. "That's right, it had to do with attention problems. So what is talking to yourself?"

"Hell if I know." The clone chugged some water and thanked the chef. He spun his stool around to face his creator, chin in hands and watching the real Naruto eat. It was little disturbing the way utter devotion was barely hidden in the clones eyes. Of course to the passing people it looked like one twin was watching the other with...inappropriate...thoughts. "Sorry Nii-kun, but I gotta go."

Naruto sighed and dropped his chopsticks into his empty bowl. He was going to be alone again. "Okay. Bye."

"Ja ne." The clone hopped off the chair and disappeared into the crowd. Swarms of people soon swept the chakra construct away to a place where it could disperse quietly. They had come to the conclusion that the clones would leave before disappearing so as not to alarm anyone.

"Hey, you are paying for that." Said the owner of the food stall at the sight of the clone leaving. He had the customary chef hat and a stained apron that smelled like ramen. The man had beads of sweat rolling down his fat arms, and an altogether mean attitude. Naruto didn't like him. His eyes tracked the large ladle the man carried, just in case the foul man decided to swing it.

"Yeah. How much is it?"

"400, for the both of you." He held out a sweaty palm for the money. A fly buzzed around his ear distracting the young boy. Naruto giggled. The fly was soon joined by another one in a strange insect courtship they flew around the smelly cooks head. "What's so funny? Think you can get out of paying cause you're a kid?"

"No. It's just...never mind old man." Naruto felt into his pockets to get the said amount. The man snatched it out of his hand and counted it greedily. "What a weird guy." Naruto commented as he was swallowed up by the flow of humanity.

* * *

Brown wings fluttered as a small sparrow landed heavily on a tree branch. Nemi was still young, only a few months old, and as such she had been picked for the first scout. The sparrow sucked in air and fluffed her feathers nervously. She was waiting for her contact in today's mission to show; he was a raccoon and as such wasn't used to the daylight hours. Nemi waited. She chirped excitedly at the humans passing beneath the tree, fearing they would suspect something.

"Yo, take a chill pill birdy." The raccoon slurred as it mounted the tree and laboriously climbed up. His ringtail swished back and forth to some unheard beat.

"You! Sqaaaash IIIIIII preeeeesume?" The small bird chirped out in her high pitched voice.

"Yup. Now just chill, 'kay? Humans too thick to know our saying. Got some buggy talkers and a few canine but none for us. 'Member that birdy. Now what was it you peeps wanted ta chat 'bout?"

The bird flapped her wings in excitement. She sung a few songs of morning joy and hopped around her contact. "Weee neeeed help! Forest dweeeelers reeeeqiiire assiiiistance iiin watchiiing speeeacail humans. Want learn, want use." Nemi tried her best to impress on the city dweller the wishes of her group. It was very important.

"So ya want ta follow around the ninjas and try ta learn their attacks?" The raccoon asked for clarification. He had never heard such a preposterous thing in his life.

"Yeeeees! Weeee neeeed to know where theeeey beeee. You leeead us?"

The raccoon rubbed his eyes and mulled it over. _Human ninja's are dangerous. I like my life here, eating rotten vegetables out of garbage cans, don't want to mess it up. Still... it would be cool to shoot water from my hands. Mikey would be so jealous. But thats impossible. Pah. Us animals can't do that sort of thing._ "Forget it birdy. It ain't possible for little mammals like us ta do them sorta things." He swished his tail and grabbed at the bark preparing to climb down.

Nemi was worried. Failure was not an option. The others were counting on her! They needed this raccoons help, he could explain the weird things humans did. Other animals in the city were too dependant on the humans to be trusted. It had to be a raccoon, and Squash was the only one willing to talk with them. "Foxy not thiiiink so." She blurted in desperation. Raccoons and foxes had a lukewarm relationship, but normally listened to one another's advice.

"What?"

"laaaady fox thiiiink iiiis possiiible. So do bear and falcons."

"That so... fine. Come back in two days and bring whoever ya want. Small and unnoticeable mind ya. Prefer smaller birds and squirrels. More raccoons. No bugs. Some o' the humans can understand that. And no foxes. Humans here don't like foxes." Rox scrambled down the tree and slipped through a pipe into the sewer system. His small clawed feet clicked along the tunnel as he headed back to his daytime home. _This is going to be troublesome... but very interesting._

* * *

Yuukou silently watched her captain as he paced through the defiled cabin. Blood tinted wood showed up sporadically, and broken ceramics told of a struggle. She felt her companion, Helios, tense beside her. He would never balk at a fight between to trained ninja but seeing civilians harmed always granted his nerves.

"There isn't a body in the house or in the immediate area, that's a good sign." She commented to her bird masked teammate.

Frog masked Ayumu popped his head out of the back room. His voice carried over thick with sarcasm, quite a feat considering the mask was designed to garble emotion and tone. "Maybe the boy ate him."

Yuukou resisted the urge to strangle the man. It didn't hurt she knew where he lived, ate, and partied. She would have revenge later. "Shut up. There's no way anyone could eat a full grown human in a handful of hours. Not possible."

"Hey, I didn't say it ate the whole thing. The demon could have nibbled an arm or two, then buried the rest for later. Foxes do that you know."

The cabin door slammed open as Rai stepped in. "Ayumu, one more thing out of that trap and I will personally have you turned over to Ibiki-san. I don't think whoever was attacked is dead, likely wounded for lack of body or carrion birds. We don't have time to look for them."

Helios moved over to his captain. "Do you think the demon vessel attacked a civilian?"

Dog mask didn't answer for several minutes. "It seems like the logical choice at the moment. Why I can't guess."

"He is a demon. They don't need a reason."

"Everything has a reason. Never have I found something to happen without a reason, small and incomprehensible but still a reason." Rai let the soothing repetitiveness of greenery calm his nerves as they traveled the tree branch highway. Distantly he recognized Yuukou arguing with Ayumu about something trivial, but that all took a backseat to his mediations. _This just gets stranger and stranger. The demon brat stays one step ahead of us, somehow, and causes grief everywhere it travels. But why detour to attack a lone citizen? It doesn't make sense... at least not yet._

"Kanna-san." Yuukou whispered. He turned to the woman, trying to regain focus. Her posture said she was confused, and tired. _It happens to all ANBU sooner or later. She'll ask to be taken off the roster and made regular jounin when we get back. Shame._

"Yes?" Rai popped a solider pill in his mouth as jumped along.

"Something doesn't feel right. I feel like we're being watched, but when I check there is nothing present but a bird. I think something tells me we should stop now and go back, it's like the whole forest is leaking killing intent." Her head swiveled to the side as she said this, and sure enough a bird chirped and shot off.

Rai frowned beneath his mask and slowed. Frog and Bird mask went ahead at his nod, he concentrated. Slowly Rai let his shields drop. His ANBU training allowed him to ignore petty nuisances that didn't rate on his 'danger to self' scale. Things like paper cuts, stubbed toes, and non-jounin glares were never even felt. It was almost like living in a whole different world. Rai faltered a step as the last shield went down. _Holy shit._

Yuukou wasn't being paranoid. The entire forest _was_ glaring at them. Every bug and chipmunk was shooting death glares at the passing ANBU. It was very nearly overwhelming. Rai snapped his mental shields back up and shivered. _As soon as I get home there's going to be a nice loooong bath._ "When did you notice this?"

"As we were-"

"Kanna-san!" Screamed one of their teammates. The two ANBU doubled their pace and burst from the trees. Frog and Bird were standing at the edge of a waterfall. "It's the Valley of the End."

"And? Have you found anything?" Rai was getting annoyed. This mission was becoming more trouble , and all they had to do was track down a drop out thief.

"Depends. Is a dead body anything?" Ayumu waved a hand down to the lake where they could just make out a corpse bobbing in the water. The team landed on the surface of the lake and examined to bloated form. Helios froze and his voice came out like ice.

"I know this man. He was in my class, Jounin. Forehead protector's gone as well."

"Now it killed a jounin?" Frog murmured in awe. He was starting to admire the demon. _A twelve year old! Amazing... it's a real shame we have to kill him. At least he didn't start this little killing spree in the village. It would be like another Itachi Uchiha. _

"Helios, return to Konoha. Inform the Hokage of this death and the cabin, expected civilian casualty. Ayumu, Yuukou, we're following the demon." Rai's voice held a sharpness to it that bordered on obsession.

"Sir, we aren't supposed to go past the border?" Frog mask asked softly. They didn't know how far the demon was ahead, or what direction it went from that point. Multiple tracks headed off in every direction, but generally they all converged north into Rice Field country.

"We need to catch it and regain the scroll. Imagine if it falls into the Sounds hands..." He let the threat hang, and was rewarded by the renewed determination of his two remaining subordinates. "Let's get out of this messed up forest."

* * *

Naruto bounced along the road from vendor to vendor. The large bulk he carried with him got a few stares but most pedestrians ignored the hyperactive child. There was a woman in a short dress leaning against a building with a man shoving himself against her. Naruto felt his eyes un-focus of their own accord as his voice came whispering back into his mind. "Don't look at that."

"Yes ma'am." He said aloud and turned his head in other direction, studiously avoiding that side of the street. His attention was grabbed by the stalls across the street. Several stands displayed stuffed animals of every kind. There were turtles, birds, rabbits, bears, and even large butterflies. The plushy dolls were held in rickety wooden boxes that taunted the boy, just begging to be freed. He weaved through the throngs of people to stand before the display.

Naruto waited. He was puzzled by the lack of yelling but decided to ignore it. Back in Konoha he had never been allowed in a toy shop or to stand by a stall like this one. It was a novel experience. His hands passed over the soft fur of the teddy bears under the watchful eye of the salesperson. It was a man, who was much slimmer and cleaner than the ramen shop owner. He laughed at Naruto's obvious joy and went back to reading an adult magazine; occasionally glancing up to be sure nothing was taken.

Naruto rubbed the soft silk of rabbit's ears between his fingers savoring the feel. He had never felt the material before and told the voice. This caused the owner of the stand to quirk an eyebrow before returning to his article. The sun beat down marking the late afternoon and the amount of shoppers started to decrease. "Hey kid, shouldn't you be getting home?" The man asked from behind his magazine.

"Home? Probably. What do you think conscience?" Naruto pushed aside a box to reveal one he hadn't examined before. His breath caught at the toy held within. The blonde didn't know why he was drawn to the doll, but he knew he wanted it. Carefully he pulled out the stuffed fox and stroked it's whiskers. The doll was a soft rusty color with beady black eyes and nose. Short black ears perched delicately on the head with soft white inner fur visible. An eighteen inch white tipped tail fluffed out in the back and white paws dangled in the air. Naruto blinked at the very real looking claws poking out from each paw. "Wow."

"Like it? Never been able to sell the thing, it was a project I did to graduate." The man flipped another page and giggled.

"You had to go to school for this?" Naruto asked as he peered into the glass eyes to see his reflection. _I'm in a fox! There's a fox in me! That's funny._

"Did you think a person just wakes up one morning and knows how to make a work of art like that? No! It takes planning, designing, modifying, and time. Lots of time, but I enjoy it. It's fun in a way nothing else is." The man chided.

"Oh." Naruto sighed and put the fox back. He found something he wanted but he didn't have the money. With slumped shoulders he left the stand. "I wish I could have that. I've never had a toy before."

"Well, why didn't you take it?" Asked the voice.

"I don't have the money. Those dolls cost more than I have." Naruto kicked a rock and pouted. Suddenly his sour mood evaporated and he smiled wide. "But at least he let me play with them. No one's ever done that before!"

"Pah. Next time you see something you want, just take it. Wait. Never mind. You need practice."

"Practice?"

"Yes, your pick-pocketing skills need to be polished. Then we will move on to the finer arts of shoplifting." The voice sounded like it was happy. Naruto supposed that was a good thing.

"Isn't stealing bad?"

"Now now, I'm your conscience right? I'm only here to correct mistakes. Listen to me, do what I tell you. I'm going to take a nap, so stay out of trouble."

"Okay. Sweet dreams!" Naruto cheerfully wished the voice only he heard. Several people swerved to avoid the blonde at his outburst. Undisturbed the young boy continued down his path oblivious to the shadow that detached form a doorway to follow him.

Skipping past darkened alleyways like Shidou told him Naruto enjoyed exploring the town. He stocked up on rations and got a blanket. People smiled at him, and some winked. Many didn't mind him bumping into them though a few drunks cursed. Those were the ones he practiced with as per his instructions. They didn't have much money on them individually but after his twenty fourth encounter of the drunken kind Naruto had made enough money for dinner at a reasonably priced restaurant. He was about to go looking for a place to eat when a well manicured hand clamped on his shoulder.

"I saw what you did. You are a talented boy aren't you." The voice cooed seductively. Naruto faced the person, surprised to find it was a girly looking man. His hair was long and black but held back in braids. Scarlet painted fingernails brushed along Naruto's cheek. "And you look so exotic too..."

"Can I help you, mister?" Naruto asked. His body stiffened as it went on alert._There's a strange man touching me! What do I do! He's looking at me funny now! Conscience, will you please wake up quick!_

"Oh yes. You can help me, and I won't tell those smelly dregs where their drinking money went."

"I don't know. I bet I can run faster than them." Naruto smiled confident. To his slight dismay it seemed to encourage the freaky man.

"Spunky. I like that. And I think I'll like everything else." The man observed as his black eyes roamed over the small boy. Naruto dipped out of the mans grasp and backed up. "Don't be like that. I only need a little help this one night. My usual got sick and I don't have a replacement. They'll like you."

"Like me?"

Sensing Naruto's open confusion the man smiled cheerily. "Yes. Definitely. My... friends are very nice. They'll give you all sorts of things if you help me. So, come on boy. Call me Tsuki." Tsuki blurred behind Naruto and began pushing him back the way they had come.

* * *

Iruka was glad the pain had finally bled away after two days. It wasn't completely gone but had receded to a dull ache. He drank some cool water and turned to face his window. Of late more animals had been gathering around it but Iruka didn't mind the company. It was almost like having a class again.

The chunin placed a small leaf in both palms and leaned back. After finding his center he started the exercise. The green leaves spun slowly at first but gained speed as they hovered just above his palms. Chakra constantly pushed out against the foliage and into the air, but not strong enough to send them shooting off. The exercise reminded him of the time he had tried to teach Naruto and the others discipline.

Iruka chuckled at the memory, in his mind he saw the trainees escaping out the window. A flash of chakra upset the delicate balance he had been maintaining and sent the leaves spinning.

Chirping and squeaking came from his open window and Iruka could imagine it was his old class. Sakura and Ino screeching at one another like birds, Chouji sneaking food in whenever Iruka wasn't looking. Iruka exhaled at the same time sending out a light wave of chakra. The strength of the wave was such only a jounin would notice it, but strong enough so the chunin could read the ripples it made. Eight small life signatures were visible on his window sill. Three he guessed were squirrels, the rest different birds. One of the nut-scavengers scampered down into the room. It paused on the tile and sniffed around before crawling up the bed post.

"Hello little animal. Would you like something?" Iruka closed his eyes and waited. As he expected the small forest creature crawled over the sheets to his shaking hands despite the warning screeches from it's fellows. The bushytailed rodent sniffed Iruka's palms and tilted its head inquiringly. "Its called chakra little one. You have to convert stamina into chakra. I don't think you could do it."

Iruka nodded off having exhausted his chakra stores, again. The squirrel watched the sleeping man for sometime. "Hard. Hard." He finally said to his companions waiting on the window sill.

"No duh! Weeee not to beeee here! Waaait for two more sun seeets." A cardinal bit out and swooped into the room. His small talons gripped the water pitcher and he drank some.

"Know here here here. Thump here!" The squirrel slapped his foot down on the mattress, lost his balance and fell off because of the bounce.

"That why weeeee waaaait." A blue bird snickered. The other two squirrels glared at the offending bird. They decided to use the new vocabulary they had recently picked up.

"Shove it."

* * *

Kin played with her kunai while waiting for the results of the genin exam. It had consisted of a written portion of both trigonometry and physiology, followed by a practical demonstration of everyone's strongest jutsu. Training at the hidden village of Sound was intense, and most sound genin were really chunin level form it. Kin Tsuchi was no exception, but if they were at chunin then the test was equally difficult.

_Please say I passed. I want to get out of this death trap of a village. _"Kin Tsuchi." An examiner called with a sneer. The dark haired girl could swear the arrogant attitude was part of the qualifications of chunin for the sound. She got up and tried to ignore the leers of her classmates. Some wanted her, but most wanted her dead. It was common knowledge only two genin teams would officially form. The third portion of the exam had yet to be administered, and her death would mean the chances for the rest would increase.

Kin was the only remaining female left of the original class. The rest had either died in training accidents or 'went missing'. Sharp nails dug into her palms to draw blood as the girl fell into her own pace. She went outside to hear her results and the details of the final portion.

"Kin. Congratulations. You passed. Jutsu was horrible but your written score was high enough for passing marks. You get to live. For now."

_What?_Kin blinked and covertly scanned the area. She couldn't feel any killing intent form the three jounin watching her, or see evidence of traps in the surrounding area. Despite these assurances her instinct was screaming at her to run. A soft breeze blew through the light tree cover from the east. Blood. Thick and strong the scent of blood hit her nose like a brink wall. _How did I miss this!_

One of the jounin smiled and leaned over the table set up. He held out a forehead protector with a music note on it. "You see Kin-chan, those that couldn't make the cut have already been eliminated to save time. Now you get to fight for the honor of serving Otokagure! I would hurry. The others will be out soon."

Understanding dawned. Kin snatched the forehead protector and charged past the instructors and into what little cover was available. She had been far from the first person called, at most another ten were already waiting in the brush for a chance to strike. "Remember Kin-chan that this is a life or death test! Only the last six standing will be allowed to move on!"

Fear and anger mixed in the girl. The man was laughing at her, the only female genin left. Sharp kunai spun into her hands and Kin jumped over the fire pit filled with the bodies of her former classmates. _Oh kami... Natsumo had always let me copy his notes... _Kin buried her feelings deep and swiped at the trip wire in her path. Two explosive notes went off but the girl had already bounced away from the blast. She wasn't going to die. She wasn't.

* * *

Ibiki stood before the petite woman with a blank face. It wasn't often he had to deal with these people, but each time he got the impression they wanted to give him a solid whipping. It wasn't difficult for him to imagine the graying woman turning him over and giving him a beating with the clipboard in her hands.

"I said no and I mean it. Come back next week. Iruka-sensei is in no shape for your," she sneered in obvious distaste. "Interrogations. The man just lost his leg and most of his hearing. He's under heavy sedation, or should be."

"Ma'am, I understand that but all I ask for is five minutes. I'm sure you heard about the incident at the Hokage tower, we have reason to believe Umino may be an accomplice in the theft."

She reddened. "Iruka-sensei?! Never! I've known him since he was a boy, and he would never betray the village. This whole idea is preposterous. Now go, I have patients and I don't need them worrying because there's a torture and interrogation member in the room."

The man felt one of his teeth crack under the pressure as he ground them together. He had no legal cause to detain the woman. _Medic-nin!_ It was an old custom, and archaic if you asked him, but the hospital was the domain of the medics. In those walls their word could override that of Hokage.

It had been the belief of the Konoha founders that shinobi tended to fight with all their heart and would go into battle severely injured unless restrained; hence the medic's power to order them around within the Hospital. Sometimes it was the only thing that stopped a ninja from overworking themselves.

Ibiki turned quickly and left, his coat whipping behind him. The old medic gave a satisfied nod and returned to her desk. Ibiki cracked his neck and decided he would need a different tactic. Those people couldn't know _all_ of his people, could they? Ibiki pushed open the glass door and entered the streets while heading to his headquarters. He didn't like trusting a new recruit to the assignment, but it may be the only way to get the information without those harpies breathing down his neck.

* * *

Naruto pecked at the soft fabric of the yukata he had been given. It was too smooth and felt weird. Blue silk brought out his eyes, or so the strange man had said, so he had to wear it. He made the young blonde take a bath after arriving at an out-of-the-way building, when he came out of the bathroom his clothes were missing and the silk outfit was waiting on the couch. It was annoying. Naruto wished the nice voice would wake up and tell him what to do; he didn't know how to react in the situation. One part of him wanted to find the nearest exit and run while another wanted to stay and find out what the men would do. Tsuki said he would like them, but the girlish man was strange and hadn't let Naruto eat anything since arriving.

"I wonder if he eats ramen?" Naruto asked himself and fell back on the small couch the room contained. Tsuki had been nice enough to provide him with a waiting room to rest in. The blondes things sat on the floor in a corner but his clothes were gone. "A cup of ramen a day keeps the needle people away. If painted-nails skips his daily does of ramen, then his weirdness would make sense." Naruto smiled at the logic.

The door creaked open and Tsuki came in dressed formally with that creepy smile on his face. "It's time for you meet the... nice men. You'll be good boy won't you, Naruto-kun?"

"Of course! I'm the best!" Naruto jumped up with a burst of confidence. His mind raced and made connections no one else would think of. "Are these guys going to teach me some cool techniques? Huh, painted-nails?"

"Oh that's cute. I get my own nickname!" The man squealed and clapped his hands. Steel handles twisted and the man motioned to the open door. "This way."

The whisker marked boy rushed into the hall and tapped his feet impatiently. Tsuki's smile never faltered, though it seemed to twist the more they walked. Naruto's bare feet speed over the wood flooring as he crisscrossed the halls to inspecting every vase and painting. On the way he almost ran into no less than twenty people, the majority of which were scantily clad women who cooed at the boy. The blonde decided he liked the attention.

"Ne, Tsuki-sama isn't sending the little cutie into _that_ room?" One cherry lipped woman whispered conspiratorially to another.

"Hatsuharu is ill. Those pigs would not enjoy someone with a fever of one-hundred and two. He's lucky he managed to find another like Hatsu-chan."

"You mean, that little cutie is mentally..." The girls shushed at the look Tsuki gave them. An undercurrent of submission passed between the women and woman wanna-be as both girls bowed and hurried away. Naruto glanced back curiously. He wanted to hear more about the two boys, he didn't associate cute with himself.

"Painted-nails, why are there so many girls around? They never dressed like this back home."

Tsuki laughed. "They're just women of poor circumstance. Ah, here we are." He pushed open a wide set of double doors. Naruto ran in to find the supposedly nice men.

"Hiya! I'm Naruto! Are you guys going to show me stuff?" His smile lit up the room. One of the guys got a nosebleed and fell over, another blushed to a degree only a certain Hyuuga could compete with.

With only three of the original five high-paying clients coherent their leader decided to take action. "Tsuki-san, this isn't what we paid for." _Not that I'm complaining... but it's the principal of the thing._

"Yes, but you see Hatsu-chan is ill and not able to satisfy. However I think you'll find Naruto-kun accommodating."

"I suppose... leave us."

Tsuki bowed to his customers and nervously left. Naruto's eyes sparkled innocently and he bounced over to the nearest adult. "Hi!"

"Eh, Kioji-kun. This one isn't too hard on the eyes, even better than the usual boy I'd say. Come closer boy." Naruto complied happily. The man ran his hand through the blonde strands and grinned. "Will you remember us in the morning, or will you forget as Hatsu-chan always does? Is it that bad?" The man leaned over and breathed on the short boy.

Naruto's nose wrinkled. "Your breath smells like the man that always sleeps on the street at my apartment." He disliked the sudden sensitivity of his senses, now Naruto was picking up the sake on the table and the sushi in the miniature fridge behind the bookshelf.

One of the other men laughed and downed a shot of alcohol. "He's honest! I like that! So Naruto-kun, what position do you prefer?"

"Position..." Blue eyes blinked in confusion. Instead of answering he tilted his head at the man, Kioji, and asked his own question. "Why are you taking off your shirt? Are you hot? I bet if you opened that fridge it would get cooler."

The leader shifted uncomfortably. "Guys. I can't do this. The kid is too... innocent and I just can't taint that. I'll be taking a nap."

"Suit yourself. He's just mental, likely won't remember it as always." The turned back to Naruto, who was enjoying the attention the other man was lavishing on him. "So boy, what is you're favorite position?"

Naruto's face screwed up in concentration, but it was difficult to think with the soothing hands petting his head. It felt really nice. "Hey, come over here and try this. Hatsu-chan never sat still long enough but this kids hair is surprisingly soft!"

"Quit hogging the kid Midoki. I called dibs, remember?"

"Yeah, but by the time you are through with him he won't be nice and clean." The man grumbled as he relinquished his hold on Naruto's hair. The boy finally regained all thought process and jumped up. He climbed up on the table, clearing it of empty bottles with the action, and struck a pose. He was body was sideways to them with his feet apart and his hands held slightly back in a cross position.

"I like this one! Doesn't it make me look cool? Are you going to teach me some awesome moves now?" The little speech came out in rapid fire that the two men had trouble discerning. Both businessmen had the same thought at the same time. _Tenshi was right, he really is innocent and naive. _

"What is going on here? Did I not tell you to stay away from this area?" A breezy voice rumbled in Naruto's ears.

"Ne! I did but the funny guy said I would get stuff, and he kinda dragged me over." The demon vessel spoke in his defense, inwardly glad his conscience had reappeared.

The two remaining men arched their eyebrows at the display as Naruto started talking to thin air. Kioji leaned over to Midoki, "I guess Naruto-kun does fit the bill then, but his condition isn't short term memory loss."

"What is it? Turrets?"

"No. That's cussing. Maybe he's schizo? Either way I've lost my will to fuck him. Even in a fit of madness he still looks too angelic, must be the yukata."

"Then I'll just take over..."

Naruto pouted at his voice, which seemed to be insinuating the men wouldn't give him anything useful. Midoki waved at the boy to gain his attention. "I have something you might like. I was going to give it to Hatsu-chan but I think it will look better on you."

The blue eyed boy jumped from the table and into Midoki's lap rather like a puppy. "What is it! What is it! Tell me!"

Midoki stroked the soft hair some more, this time letting his hand trial past the neck down Naruto's backside. This sent alarms ringing from the voice. "Naruto! If I say move it you jump on the double. Got it. Good."

The man pulled a tissue wrapped object from his coat. Naruto eagerly took it and tore the lavender covering off. "It's pretty." The boy unclipped a gold clasp and held the accessory up to the light. The gift was a dark red choker studded with brass and a small flat gold diamond hanging down. Nimble fingers quickly fastened the leather accessory around his neck.

Naruto was about to thank the nice man when a scream echoed through the building. "What was that?"

"Move!" The voice yelled. Immediately Naruto burst into action, crashing through the doors and down the hallway. Originally the slightly insane blonde wanted to return to his room, pick up his things and get away, but then the scream sounded again. Male and female heads started poking out doors, also curious to the disturbance. Blue eyes clouded over and Naruto's feet slowed. On an impulse he spun on his heel and charged up a flight of stairs to follow the screams to their source. Halfway up and no recall order from the voice convinced the boy he had chosen correctly.

Inside Naruto a red ball of hate and anger slammed against it's bars and sent out wave after wave of pure chakra into it's hosts system. Normally such an occurrence would only cause temporary changes, but that was why Kyuubi rammed repeatedly against the cage. The demon fox wanted permanent changes. There was no mental self for the chakra to attack and seep into, so it went straight into the body. Without any orders the chakra was left with no outlet, and naturally dispersed throughout the demons host. "You dumb-ass Hokage! You may have sealed my body but you are far from trapping my power and influence! The boy is mine! MINE!" Kyuubi screamed in triumph.

Two people froze in fear as a door slammed open. A mustached man squinted at the small figure standing in the doorway and dropped the broken chair leg he held over a naked woman. The woman in question had perfect vision, and gasped as she scrambled away from the boy and man. Blood marked the red haired prostitutes trail as she crawled under a table for cover.

"Why did you hurt her?" The demonic looking boy asked, curious.

"Get away! Leave, demon!" The man shouted and fell backwards. Naruto narrowed his eyes. Painful memories of a village best left forgotten surfaced and he growled.

"I'm not a demon." Naruto rushed forward. In the back of his mind he noted the newly sprung claws and put them to use. A red corona of energy pulsed around him as his pupils elongated. Naruto heard the heartbeat of the man slow as he ripped it out, and the woman's increase. Mission accomplished, he stood and watched the heart stop. The red aura of power receded with his claws and his eyes returned to normal.

Naruto twirled around and bounced over to the woman cowering under the table. Red hair hid her face, but gray eyes watched in mute fascination as the death child offered up her tormentors heart. "Hi! I'm Naruto Uzamaki!"

"Leslie Fujiko." Taking in the familiar blue yukata Leslie blinked in shock. _This is the boy Tsuki-sama brought in as a replacement. And he saved me. Kaede-san always beats his whores, no one but this kid would even think to come and help. And that power. It was like nothing I've ever seen. He must be some sort of... Angel. An Angel of vengeance. Those pointed ears prove he is supernatural. _

"Are you okay Leslie-nee-chan?" Naruto asked and dropped the heart. He frowned at the blood stains collecting on the carpet and his clothing. Blood was sticky and hard to wash out. Naruto hoped he wouldn't get in trouble.

"Y-yes. I'm okay, mostly. Just a few cuts and a broken wrist, but I'll be fine. Is there anything I can do to thank you, Tenshi-sama?"

"I wasn't expecting thanks..." Naruto blushed. Leslie cradled her arm and crawled out. _Stupid! Of course he's not expecting anything. He's an ANGEL!_ Her Angel helped her stand and let her lean on him. The red head was over twice his size but he seemed to have no problem supporting her. Naruto helped her throw on a thin robe and walk out.

"I know I don't have anything worthy of you, but is there anything I can give you?" Leslie almost cried. What if this was some sort of test? What if she didn't give a proper offering and he choose to strike her down? Why else was he still with her?

"There is this one thing..." Naruto trailed off at the hungry look the woman was giving him. If he asked her to bring him the heart of every customer in the building she would do it. "There is this stand that sells stuffed animals. I really like the fox doll. Will you get it for me?"

"Yes." _I know that stand, but I've never seen a fox plushy. If Angel-sama wants it I'll get it for him. My wrist can wait._

"Hold on. I need to get my things." Naruto slipped into the room he had cleaned up in and came out loaded down with scroll and sword. "Ready to leave, Leslie-nee-chan!"

The woman bowed, it sounded like an order to her. From this day on she would stop working for Tsuki, maybe even go into business for herself. As soon as her wrist was fixed up she would hire a body guard and start her own brothel. _I could call it Angel's Blessing. _Leslie smiled the first true smile she had in years. Walking out the front door, she was oblivious to the looks of shock and awe thrown at her and the blonde boy by her former co-workers.

END.

**A/N- Tsuki the brothel owner and Suki the squirrel are not related.**


	6. Path

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- Naruto has killed a man using the Kyuubi chakra for the first time, by ripping out his heart. The prostitute he saved will do anything he asks; luckily all he wants is a stuffed fox. The Kyuubi seems to be going insane at the same time as its vessel. Iruka remains in the hospital practicing chakra control. The ANBU have crossed the border intent on killing Naruto, and Konoha's forest animals are plotting. **

**Chapter Six: Path**

Leslie watched her blonde savior as he hugged the stuffed fox toy close. Soft fur tickled his chin and he smiled, warming the former prostitute's heart. He was amazing. Naruto, as he had introduced himself, brought her from deaths door all for the price of one doll.

The memory of that bastard's heart in his hands was especially sweet. Leslie would have never been thought to be the vindictive type, but seeing the life fade from her abusers eyes had kindled a righteous fury in the red haired girl. She wasn't quite sure where it would lead, but her angel of vengeance had pointed her on the path and she would follow it.

"Ne, Leslie-nee-chan. Thank you." Naruto whispered, still petting the plushy he held with obvious possessiveness. The woman had witnessed her angel growl at a drunk who almost spilled ale on the scarlet fox. She had no doubt that had the liquid landed the old man would be out, permanently.

"I'd do anything for my angel." Leslie answered meekly. Humans had to show the proper respect to higher beings or risk falling from favor. She didn't want that to happen.

Naruto paused and picked at a blood stained sleeve of his yukata. He missed his orange jumpsuit, but receiving the fox plushy made up for it. He turned Leslie's words over in his head. He couldn't remember hearing the term she used before, but it lacked the tone of insult that demon carried. It was more of an endearment. "What is an angel?"

Leslie blinked. Another test. She _must_ have done something to merit attention, but clearly her old profession was getting in the way. The higher beings must be giving trials to test her faith.

Naruto and Leslie were walking to the town gates, with the latter in deep thought as she formulated her answer. What was an angel? If her answer was unsatisfactory would Naruto-sama leave? Would she be struck down by a sudden bolt of lighting? Leslie crossed her arms beneath her large breasts, careful not to knock her splinted wrist. What exactly was an angel?

There were the many different types of ethereal creatures. Vengeance and guardian the most prominent. Then there were the elemental spirits, not to mention the many yokai. Leslie's brow furrowed as her eyes followed the blue clad blonde. Clearly he didn't mind waiting, but she would have to come up with something before they reached the town gate.

* * *

Kin pressed against the tree; bark digging harshly into her back. With a complex but small application of chakra she slowed her heart until the two other genin candidates went by. Normally Sound trainees could detect the faint vibrations of breathing or heart beats, but Kin knew this and she had specifically trained in case there would ever be a need to assassinate one of her own. In the Hidden Sound personal attachments were frowned upon, and their leader was known for discarding tools he considered weak or useless. 

There had been a time Kin would have admired the ruthless man. He was a ninja that didn't let morals or personal life get in the way of his mission. It was considered an honor to be part of Rice country's new shinobi village. To make the Land of Rice great and to serve the master... that was all Kin wanted. When the white-haired ninja had come to her orphanage and offered membership, sensing her 'potential', she eagerly accepted.

They never told her betrayal was the norm.

Kin grabbed a branch and swung herself up, trailing an incredibly thin wire. She zigzagged through the tree tops, creating a web of wire and bells. They wouldn't get her. She wasn't going to die for some old man's entertainment. She ran along a branch, cursing at the lack of cover. Using the branch like a spring board, she bounded off into the air.

Deft fingers wrapped the end of her wire to a thick needle, then hurled it into the selected position as she began to fall. Kin tucked and rolled, winching as a hidden kunai slashed her arm. She didn't know if it had been left over from last year or was placed on purpose but it had sliced nearly to the bone, leaving her left arm nearly useless. "At least I got the warning system set up..."

* * *

"Brother..." Gozu nudged the last of his family with his elbow. His eyes fixated on something beyond the bar the two missing nin were eating at. Meizu ignored his senior, favoring instead to eat his steaming cream of mushroom celery beef stew. Gozu sighed at his brother who jealously guarded his meal. Really, what kind of reputation were they making sitting at mom and pop booth slurping stew? 

"Just like ma used to make." Meizu muttered as he inhaled the food.

"I'm glad dear." The old woman said with a smile while she pushed fresh baked bread over to the chunin. Gozu felt his eye twitch. He grabbed his brother's head and wrenched it in the right direction.

"Do you not see that?!" He demanded with metal gauntlet squeezing the younger's head. Meizu clutched his brother's wrist to aleve the pain and snarled. He didn't like being interrupted during food time. Whispered threats dribbled out of the chunin's mouth along with creamy soup. Brown eyes landed on two people turning around the corner or more precisely on the scroll one of them carried at his back.

Dried mud decorated the dark green scroll, which was itself held within a grungy orange net. The remains of a paper seal peaked out from the under the mesh. Faint chakra radiated from the scrap of paper, something that only the most important of documents had.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Gozu grinned under his breather mask, metal gauntlet clinking as he rose. "It's _the_ Scroll of Seals. Come on. With it, we won't need to listen to that child-loving old man." He chuckled darkly.

The younger brother followed, pausing only to pay the kindly old couple that fed them. "Why would a kid have it? He could be dangerous."

"Idiot. He's a kid, looks maybe... eleven at the most. Short. Probably took it off the corpse of whatever ninja was transporting it. Easy kill, but I don't want trouble from the authorities. We can take him a few miles out of town."

* * *

Flashes of color assaulted the chunin's senses. Iruka immediately shut down his exercise, his chakra coming to a standstill within his body. It was mildly painful in both his retinas and his chakra circulatory system. He didn't think he'd ever felt so tired in his life. 

"Iruka-sensei..." A pretty nurse admonished as she stepped into the room holding a cup of oblong pills. "You should be taking it easy. At this rate you'll double your time with us."

"That's alright." He whispered as he accepted the pills. The woman shook her head in aspiration as she filled the former pill cup with water form the bedside. _Ninja's, always acting tough. Pushing themselves past their limits. At least he's not as bad as that Lee kid._

Iruka chugged the water and fell back, his head narrowly missing the bed board. "What were those?" He asked as body began relaxing. The nurse adjusted his pillow and answered that one pill had been anti-biotics and the other a sedative. He needed to rest. "I see. Then it's true what they say about you medics."

She paused. "What do they say about us?"

Iruka fought to stay conscious as the chemicals rushed through his system. That was the down side of being a ninja, his metabolic rate was extremely fast and the medicines were broken down and put to use quickly. They also had to be far more potent than for a normal civilian for the same reason. "Just that, you'll pound a patient into submission or tie them to the bed to make them do what you say."

Red crept to the woman's cheeks as she stepped back. "W-we haven't done that since Tsunade-Sama was with us!"

Something flickered in the chunin's memory. He lunged forward sloppily due to the drugs, but he managed to catch the nurses wrist before she left. "Please. Can you contact a puppet maker from the Sand? I would like to have a replacement made."

"If you wish it."

"Thank you." With that he gave into the drugs, half sprawled on the floor, and a bit of drool.

* * *

Ayumu went through the gates, his distain of the local populace evident. Prostitutes avoided him like the plague, their flattering smiles turning sour as they looked into his cold eyes. His ANBU mask had been stored away for the excursion into enemy territory. "What makes you so great, freaking ninja?" 

He spun, hand grasping the woman's throat and pinning her against the wall. He couldn't stand the disgusting whores. Any respect he had gained for the demon spawn evaporated when they followed the trail to the city. "Have you seen a boy, yellow hair, about this high?" He asked his voice cold as steel. Some people never listened to reason.

The woman snarled, her long fingernails scratching at his hand. "Why should I tell you anything?" He started to get annoyed by her attitude and squeezed marginally harder. Fear flickered in her eyes as she came to the conclusion that he could and would kill her if she didn't cooperate.

"Child. Blonde. New. Have you seen him?"

"M-Maybe. Leslie-chan was walking around with a kid. Said he saved her from a rough client. He was blonde, had blue eyes. But kind of shrimpy."

The ANBU's eyes widened. The chances of finding a lead so soon were slim, but how many blonde kids were running around a brothel town? He released her, and the whore stumbled while rubbing her neck. She spat at the ground, before running to the safety of the crowd.

Ayumu pulled a Nokia, the brand of ninjas, cell phone from his pouch and dialed zero. One touch dialing did wonders for Ninja communication. Less breakable than radios, but expensive so that only ANBU got them. "Kanna-san? We may have a lead. Target was seen with a prostitute by the name of Leslie."

"Okay. Contact Yuukou, start looking for this Leslie."

"Right." In a blur his thumbs dialed Yuukou's number, and to his annoyance the only thing he got was a busy signal. His foot tapped against the wall impatiently. "Come on, come on. Pick up woman. No she doesn't care what color you've died you hair."

"I heard that, and take it as an offense."

"Shit. Yuukou. Where did you come from?"

The woman crossed her arms, tilting her head just so that the sun would shine in his eyes. She glared, he winced. "Did you even get a description on this Leslie?"

"..."

"Thought so. I'll take the shopping district- don't say anything! - and you can scout out ill repute town. Kanna-san is probably going through the city records as we speak." She calmly stated. Ayumu nodded absently as he tried to figure out why she didn't pick up her phone. Did he dial the wrong number? He didn't think so...

"Wait. Why do I have to search the slums?"

"Because you are an ass." Smoke clouds were the only thing that signaled her departure. Ayumu sighed. Running after a demon was wearing down his nerves, he just wanted to kill the thing and go home. There was no doubt in his mind that Rai wouldn't give up until the creature was dead, orders be damned. He was a good captain, the best he ever had, but the man had a nasty habit of refusing to quit until he finished what he started.

As Ayumu stalked toward the homes of prostitutes, pimps, and whores the crowd parted like silk away from his dark aura. Across the street a plushy vendor spied on the Ninja with a look of suspiciousness.

* * *

The dolls were whispering to him. His creations were warning him of near-by danger, a ninja. High caliber. He was looking for something. _There are three in the city... looking for a demon..._ Multiple voices whispered in his head. "A demon?" He questioned the dolls, staring into the glass eyes of a turtle. 

_The spawn of a demon. Under the influence of demon. A murderer._

The cart began to vibrate lightly, metal wheels squeaking with urgency. "I suppose it's time to close up now, friends." The man told his cart. Just as he was beginning to tie down a canvas, something pulled at his leg. "Hello little girl."

"H-hi. Can I have the horsy? Mommy gave me money."

_Not me. I'm not right for her...the bird. Bird. Bird. Bird._

"Why not this pretty red bird? That's real tail feathers, see how soft they are?" He questioned with a smile. The pig-tailed girl bit her lip in thought, small hands running down the smooth body.

"Okay."

* * *

Donna ran down the street, pushing people over out of spite. Her skirt flew up as she leaped a fire hydrant, causing several drunks to whistle appreciatively. Ignoring the hooligans, that were occasionally clients, she proceeded to head toward the center of the red-light district. Her blonde ringlets bounced cutely, at odds with the anger marring her features. 

A manicured hand reached out to catch a wooden post, jerking her out of the pell-mail charge. After running at full speed for around five minutes Donna arrived where a building resembling an old hotel towered. Shaking and nearly out of breath, she pounded on an intricately carved door and demanded entrance. "Open up! I have to speak to Leslie-chan!"

Silver handles turned awkwardly, a rat-faced man poking his head out. "We're closed!" Before he could shut the door, Donna snagged his nose and pulled down, her eyes level with his.

"Let. Me. In." Angry fire burned in her brown depths and the doorman gulped, hastily moving aside. The self-employed prostitute didn't release his snosh until she was fully inside the building. "I need to speak to Leslie."

The small man coughed, motioning for someone to hurry over and handle the crazed whore standing in his entry-way. "She isn't here. Bitch left last night with a young boy and a corpse in her room."

"W-what?! But Leslie would never hurt a fly." Donna exclaimed in an accusatory tone. Heads poked out doors, curlers still dangling from locks. Room to room whispering began and the small man turned red. He took an umbrella from the hallway canister and waved it threateningly.

"Back to your rooms!" Female and male heads quickly disappeared, and Donna was beginning to get nervous. What had happened to cow the strong women of Tsuki's Flower? The girls that could take a beating and keep on fucking. She didn't think anything could cause them to listen to their bouncer. "It is none of your concern. Nothing happened."

"Yes. It is. They're some people looking for her, ninja I think. If they trace her back here you know what will happen, miniscule man." Donna used every bit of her pissed off women aura to intimidate the small man. Her eyes glared daggers at him, and passed a hand over her throat. The small man's eyes widened in shock at the bruise rapidly forming around her neck. Red and blue marks stood out against white skin in a faint imitation of a hand. "Do you think they will be so easy on you?"

He bit his lip and stepped back. "I suggest you leave whore. If they think you've warned Leslie, I'm sure they'll do more than that." Donna snorted as he reached behind his back for a small jeweled dagger. There was a code among her kind. If a price had been put on one of their heads they would do everything possible to help her. The small rodent looking man didn't scare her at all. On the contrary she could tell he feared her, for she could bring the ninja's to the establishment. Rice country largely ignored their town's activates because of the amount of money it brought to the economy, but if attention was drawn to the not-so-uncommon murders...

"Tch. Don't worry about me." Donna swept out the door with her blonde head held high like a queen. Her neck was exposed, and several of the women peaking out windows and doors of near-by brothels saw it. Energy was building. Something was going to happen, and bring with it a great change. Donna couldn't figure out why she had the sudden urge to scream to the heavens in defiance. Everything was changing. Looking around and seeing the nods of her fellow prostitutes she knew there was a storm coming. "You need to worry about yourself."

"Excuse me, Miss."

Donna turned, her breasts swaying suggestively. To her surprise it was the toy vender. _Funny. I never figured him for a client. _"Yes?"

He smiled and held out a rather odd looking plush turtle. It had three tails, and spikes showed up randomly on the soft figure. "Would you mind delivering this to a friend of yours? Leslie, I believe her name is." Donna felt like he was laughing at her. Still, she didn't want to stand in the dirty street all day. Hot cups of cocoa would do nicely at the moment. The drinks would sooth her throat and help recover lost energy from her mad dash to the brothel. On a whim she snatched the stuffed three tailed turtle and tucked it under her arm. "If I see her, she'll get it."

"Thank you. I was thinking of moving you see, and wouldn't have time to give it myself..." The man just chuckled at Donna's retreating form. Soon she was lost in the crowd along with the turtle gift. "Interesting. Do you really think it will work? Alone the turtle plush can do nothing."

_It's not what Sanbi will do, but what he will inspire. All is going to work out._

"If you say so."

* * *

Kin wrapped a ripped portion of her skirt around her injury. Spit was a surprisingly good cleaner, if there was enough of it. _Probably why animals lick their wounds. But I'm not an animal._ The kunoichi slumped in exhaustion. Tending her own wounds proved to be much more difficult than another's. _I need to start learning to become ambidextrous._

Thick thorny bushes surrounded her, though not all were real. Minor genjutsu was simple, though a master wouldn't even consider the genin candidate's method true genjutsu. Summoning five bushin, she then had her clones utilize the transformation technique to take the form of the plants that did grow. With ample cover she hoped some time could be spared for recovery. That was her plan anyway. Silently Kin rested an elbow on a rock, and closed her eyes. Occasionally the sound of birds chirping or fleeing alerted her to the whereabouts of her fellow candidates. It was surprising she didn't hear much screaming. Or begging for mercy. Her classmates must have been stronger than she thought.

Kin rested, focusing what chakra she could to the injury. Then the bells started ringing. Kin snapped her head up, seeing a wire shiver in warning. They were coming from the east. Cursing, the kunoichi started running as her transformed clones were dispelled with a blast of air. "Now, Now, Kin. You should have known better than to take a nap in the middle of a test."

She plucked a hair from her head, charging it with an amount of chakra so small they wouldn't notice. "Dosu. I guess I have to deal with those portable speakers first."

"Say what you want Kin, I might give you quick death if you agree to one thing..." Her former classmate sneered. Kin felt anger grow, in her current state it only helped. With an enraged scream she flicked her wrist, the thin hair practically invisible as it flew through the air; lodging into the boy's chest. He grunted and pulled the now limp weapon out, giving the girl time to run. The chakra burns from it hurt more than the piercing had. "I'll find you Kin! There's only seven of us left! We're all after you!"

* * *

Leslie stopped at the gate, her angel turning to face her with the fox held loosely. The whore looked up and prepared to take her test. "An angel is a creature known for drawing their power from the light and holy aspects of nature. They protect and defend, or provoke and attack. They are looked upon as great and wonderful. Higher than humans, angels can be benign or malicious toward them." 

Naruto tilted his head and smiled. "So I'm an angel. Thank you." Unexpectedly he threw his arms around her middle, hugging tightly. Leslie blushed and ran her fingers through his golden locks, amazed at the smoothness of them. "I hope you achieve your goals, Leslie-nee-chan." Naruto broke the embrace and started off at a run, the fox plush safely stored in the crook of one arm.

Ramen filled his belly, and a new toy that was his and his alone created a feeling of absolute happiness inside that Naruto briefly forgot the misfortune that followed him. He met people who cared about him, and even helped protect a pretty lady! His conscience was actively helping out, and his promise was being kept. Iruka-sensei would be proud. Tan hands raised the doll to the sky, and human eyes thought for a moment they saw something different in the glass marbles that served as the toy's. "I think I'll call you Kyuu! Yeah! You'll be called Kyuu! Kyuu no Kitsune!" Naruto laughed at his own joke and continued running. If he kept up the pace he could be halfway to the ocean with the week!

Dirt was kicked up by the running boy, who took no notice of the two others following closely behind. He ran flat out with the scroll bouncing against his back, and if he wasn't careful a bruise would develop. Inside the blonde a demon stirred. It stretched it's limbs and yawned. Kyuubi distantly noticed the way it's prison bounced along but was in no way disturbed by it. After over a thousand years of life, the only thing that can alarm an ancient demon is kami-sama himself.

As per custom and habit Kyuubi scanned the immediate area. She noticed the mild increase of demon chakra her container could handle safely and clucked her tongue in satisfaction. Delving a bit further she snorted at the two strong chakra signatures tracking his vessel. No where near a level Kyuubi would worry about, still it was better to be safe than sorry. Cracking it's neck the Kyuubi prepared to contact Naruto. "Good morning."

Naruto smiled wider and speed up. "Morning. Did you see my present?"

Kyuubi concentrated for a moment as it's vessel's memories flooded it's mind. Laughing in amusement, Kyuubi answered. "Yes. It's very nice. You do realize you have a minion now?"

"Minion?"

"Minion is how we refer to a person who would serve you anyway you desire, with no regard to themselves."

"Leslie-nee-chan is my minion..."

"Interesting thought, no? I was just wanting to inform you of the two large and stupidly dressed males heading for you. One is getting ready to send a claw into your neck..."

"WHAT!" Shocked out of his haze of contentment, Naruto growled and jumped straight up. A large poisoned iron claw passed beneath him, which the ninja in training used to track his attacker to the tree's. Forming a familiar sign, Naruto summoned several shadow clones that headed into the bush to draw out the enemy. Kyuubi watched all this from the sealed cage while bloodlust grew. It wanted battle and blood and relayed this to Naruto, who was happy to oblige.

"Don't damage the scroll!" Gozu yelled in annoyance as his brother nearly cleaved the thing in two. He winced at the clinks that came from the claw retracting to it's home, and made a note to remind his brother to oil the chains more often. Naruto whistled and his clones withdrew several blades of varying usefulness, on account that some had seen more battle's than others. On cue, the shadow clones tossed the blades at random, forcing his opponents to come out of hiding. "Well kid, looks like you have some abilities." The older brother commented as he tossed a barrage of shurinken that dispelled the clones.

Naruto stared at them with wide eyes, barely controlled insanity could be seen dancing in them. Meizu glanced at his brother who was quietly observing the boy. "I think you were right. He is crazy, he talks to himself. Of course that only means this battle will be marginally more difficult than we thought. The crazy ones are unpredictable after all… shall we introduce ourselves?"

The younger brother stepped forward, though his mocking smile was hidden behind the gas breather he wore. "Meizu of the demon brothers. I'll sever that pretty little head of yours, boy."

Gozu rolled his eyes. "Gozu of the demon brothers. Older brother."

Naruto and his many brothers studied the two men with a critical eye that was starting to get on their nerves. Finally he rocked back on his heels, somehow never letting down his guard. "What is a demon?"

Had they been anything but ninja's, the two mean would have gone into mild shock at the statement. As it was the only visible reaction to the question was a slight narrowing of the eyes and a shift in stance. "You don't know what a demon is? What rock did you crawl out from? A demon is a creature with incredible power that uses it to kill. Like we are going to kill you for that scroll."

At the mention of taking his scroll Naruto's visage darkened. "You won't...I made a promise."

Meizu laughed. "Not all promises can be kept, kid. Like this one." Gozu wished his brother would shut up. He obviously wasn't paying attention to the sudden spike in the kids chakra.

Naruto felt his teeth rearrange themselves, and he opened his mouth. Blood poured out as two large fangs protruded from the cavity, and eyes turned to slits. With his gaze never leaving the two missing-nin Naruto bent down on all fours. When Naruto next spoke it chilled the blood of his opponents. "The voice in my head doesn't like you...and neither do I."

Naruto tossed Kyuu and the scroll off to the side of the road with a muttered, 'I'll be back', and charged the still stunned demon brothers. Lucky or not, Gozu snapped out of his trance and managed to block the claw swipe delivered to his face. _What is this thing? Is it an unknown bloodline?!_ Gozu rolled to the side while throwing three daggers in succession, each coated in a vile poison that would eat away at the targets body like an acid if not washed out immediately. Naruto rolled in a mimicry of Gozu to dodge the projectiles, his sudden speed boost curtsey of his 'voice' giving him an unexpected edge.

Meizu snapped back to the present and performed some quick hand seals while the crazy kid was focused on his brother. Being Rice country, water was abundant in the area and with his jutsu complete the younger brother sent several water-based daggers toward Naruto. The blonde distantly heard his tenant warning him about them, to which he flared some of his own blue tinted chakra. Incredible heat evaporated the former Mist nin's attack, to the amazement of both nin. Naruto jumped to the side, screaming as Gozu's own claw chains wrapped around him when he dodged Meizu's. The poisoned metal slid over his skin and burned so much that tears welled up. "It'll be okay. Don't worry about it. Just get out of his hold before they kill you."

Forgoing rational thought, Naruto believed in his voice and ran straight at Gozu who was wondering why Naruto had not fallen to the ground screaming. Using his free hand Gozu took out a kunai and aimed for Naruto's throat. He didn't expect the sudden grip form behind. _Crap! I thought we killed all the clones!_ A very physical blade closed in on Gozu's neck, and he saw his brother dealing with three clones on his own. Forced to release his captive to block, Gozu managed to kick the clone into a tree effectively dispelling it. He didn't expect to see the katana that the clone had been holding fly up and into the real Naruto's grip. The original blonde somersaulted into his landing, the metal bared.

Still close to the ground, Naruto ran toward his enemy while slashing widely with the katana. Gozu blocked with the hard case of his claw, thankful to the blacksmith that designed it. Meizu broke out of the shadow clone mob with a quick spinning kick. He rushed to help his brother while taking out an explosive note. "Gozu!"

His brother got away in time, and Gozu was about to berate his brother for nearly hitting him, when both went silent. Naruto landed right in front of them, clothes singed but otherwise unharmed. Red and blue chakra wafted off him like steam and he chopped off their feet in the blink of an eye. Naruto stood above them, sheathing the katana. "You tried to make me break my promise. I can not forgive you." Naruto's clawed hands aimed for the two men's hearts, but they defended as best they could. Annoyed, Naruto caught an arm and twisted resulting in a snap that excited his conscience.

"Their blood Naruto. Drink the blood." Whispered his voice gleefully. It believed that if the creatures dare challenge it's vessel they deserved a proper demon funeral. Where it was from, leaving a dead opponents body to rot was the ultimate insult. Naruto thought it strange, but obeyed the voice nonetheless.

"Oh god...someone help! A demon!" Meizu screamed and tried to crawl away. Naruto ignored the man, it wasn't like he could get far on bleeding stumps. Red rivers of blood stained the front of Naruto's kimono as he bit into the still beating heart. Fangs made it easy to rip into the tissue as Gozu breathed his last. Naruto wiped his mouth and delicately picked up the forehead protector. It bore a symbol the young blonde didn't recognize, four tilted wavy lines. Shrugging, Naruto filliped it around and carved 'Gozu' into the metal with the man's weapon. A trace of poison would be left in it but Naruto didn't care as he tied the ninja gear next to Aoba's.

Naruto practically danced over to Meizu, quickly disabling the man's arms as his voice instructed and pulling out the heart. Once again he ate it like one would an apple, watching the light fade from Meizu's eyes. "They weren't as hard as the last one."

"They were not up to his level. A chunin at most, I'd say." Kyuubi sniffed. There had been some strange coating on their foes weapons that was wreaking havoc with its containers system. Naruto's fingers twitched and he yawned as his teeth went back to their normal size and positions, a small amount of blood leaking from his gums in the process.

The boy watched his normally acute vision begin to go hazy and tipped to one side, stumbling, as he picked up the scroll and stuffed fox. "Conscience?"

"Hush! I'm busy… this is most disturbing." The Kyuubi paced back and forth as it sent wave after wave of chakra through its host's chakra system. Unintentionally the demon fox had only made it worse when it regenerated the wounds from the weapons, as it had allowed the toxin to spread much faster. Kyuubi snarled and retreated. It played a dangerous game now, as the life of both itself and it's host hung in the balance. The poison could not be flushed from the body, it was far to late for that with the original wound closed and the range of it. There was only one choice, and it was risky as well as painful. "Naruto, keep moving as long as you can. Doesn't matter where, but stay off the road."

Naruto tried to shake the cobwebs from his vision as he proceeded into the brush. "Why?"

"We will need a hiding place, if you collapse."

"Why would I…" Naruto began, but stopped his questioning when he felt his temperature rise. He felt like he was being cooked alive. Naruto closed his mouth and continued shuffling through the woods, and his mind started to go. The foggy images blurred together into bouncing bunnies and strange visions of reality. He was sick.

He kept walking as he day dreamed and the Kyuubi worked. He saw a vision of himself still at Konoha, and another where he fought a woman with long hair. He watched a boy with red hair murder another with red eyes. He felt the presence of thousands of small creatures coming together to fight against another. Leslie floated in his thoughts, but there was something different about her.

Naruto walked for hours, but when the shivering set in he fell to the ground in unconsciousness. The poison continued to destroy his body despite the Kyuubi's attempts to neutralize it.

* * *

Rai looked up at the house that the supposed Leslie lived in. It had a cracked window and needed a paint job. In fact most of the homes here needed a paint job. He sighed. Konoha was certainly unique, it didn't have a slums. The Hokage saw that everyone had the necessities, the fact that it caused him more paperwork only made one wonder why he bothers. Even the demon had been taken care of by that fact. Rai knocked on the door, and waited. The prompt arrival of the house inhabitant was surprising but he decided that one shouldn't judge a person on appearances. 

Leslie smiled at the new person. "Hello. Can I help you?"

Rai nodded as his two subordinates showed themselves. "You were seen with a boy. Short and blonde, blue eyes. Ring a bell?"

"Yes! Naruto-sama was with me, he escorted me to the hospital earlier this morning to get my wrist fixed." She offered her splinted wrist as proof with the smile never leaving her face. The ninja shared a look, pondering what could have possibly made an injured woman so happy. When she referred to the demon vessel as Naruto-sama they had suspicions, very very wrong suspicions.

"Naruto-sama?" Code name Yuukou questioned delicately.

"Of course. He's an angel. What else would you refer to an angel as?" The smile left her face as she continued to study the shinobi. "You're not trying to hurt him are you?"

"No." Their thrid member remarked. "We want to kill him."

All pleasantness fled from Leslie's body. The three ANBU were surprised at the killing intent coming from the woman, who previously would have invited them in for tea. "You will not kill him. You CAN NOT kill him. Naruto-sama is an angel. He will rip out your hearts before you can stop him."

The threat was waved off by Ayumu. "Yeah right. Where did he go? Or is he with you?" Before he could enter the house Leslie blocked the doorway with her arm, glaring all the while.

"He left this afternoon by the north gate. I wish he hadn't, then he could kill you for your insolence." She grinned in complete confidence of her idol.

Rai turned and left. "Come on. It's no use. She's obviously insane. We got the info we needed anyway."

* * *

A young ninja stood on a tree branch looking over the city. He frowned for a moment, thinking. Wind tousled his long black hair. The ninja turned to his master, a missing ninja by the name of Momichi Zabuza. "Zabuza-sama, the demon brothers have not returned."

"No...they haven't." Cold eyes regarded the city of Takara with mild interest. "We will leave. If they aren't here they must be dead."

Haku was saddened at the news. He hadn't been on the best of terms with the two missing chunin, but they had been comrades. "Why is that?"

Zabuza shifted his large sword with a grunt. They needed to move. "Because if not, I will kill them for disobeying orders."

Two shadows of the night headed east, where they would make contact with the next client.

END.


	7. Tune

**Four Letter Words**

**Disclaimer- 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' was originally written by the Beatles and I do not have any claim to it. (It's quickly becoming my favorite song.)**

**Story Thus Far- It becomes easier and easier for Naruto to kill as he taps the power of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Iruka makes his own plans as he heals, determined to return to work. Kin takes her genin test which could very well take her life. While various lives are played out and finished, an old man with his dolls knows more than he lets on. There's something about stuffed animals and a child's imagination that no one would have expected...**

**Chapter Seven: Tune**

Someday in the far, far future Kin would be asked why she cared about something that would kill without a thought. Questions would be asked on how she could stand to be around someone so inhuman. When this happens the kunoichi tilts her head to the side and bitch-slaps the questioner into submission. She has no reason; she just can't see her life without the demon vessel to make it better.

At the moment though, the genin hopeful was fighting for her life against former classmates. Gritting her teeth, Kin launched a handful of kunai toward her enemy. Two strong blasts of air knocked them easily aside and caused her to kneel on the ground in agony. Her hands pressed against the side of her head as her ears popped repeatedly but pressure continued to build. It was as if she was diving deep into the ocean where the pressure could squeeze the life from your body.

Kin blinked in shock as the pain left behind a sharp ringing that drowned out all other sounds. A spike in killing intent was her only warning that another had entered the fray between her and Dosu. She rolled out of the way, screaming as large rocks and other shrapnel pounded her back and ripped through her shirt to the pale skin. With bleary eyes she managed to make out Zaku removing his hands from the ground. A crazed smile didn't reach his eyes, it was as if he sold his soul long ago.

The two boys spoke for a moment, but the persistent ringing from Dosu's attack only allowed her to make out distant gargles. _I..I can't hear them. My ears…. Dosu's attack must have done more damage then I thought. _

Hoping the use the brief respite to her advantage Kin clapped her hands together and began channeling chakra. It came slowly; the bleeding wounds in her back stung and divided her attention.

"Shit!" Zaku yelled as he tossed kunai at the girls head while adding momentum with wind from his arms. Kin quickly spread her fingers, eyes closed, and spread her hands apart reveling glimmering threads like spider web connecting opposite fingers. A flick of her wrist sent the fine threads through the air where they attatched to the warning bell lines she laid earlier. She formed her hands into fists.

Like whips the bell cords retracted and snapped at the kunai, misdirecting them and protecting her for the time being. Kin dropped on one knee to the dirt; the action had taken more out of her than she wanted. She was no puppeteer and chakra strings didn't come easily to her.

"Looks like the little girl could do more than we thought. Too bad this is the end." Dosu murmured as he took aim, intending to blow her head clean off of her shoulders.

To Kin it sounded like he was lecturing her as if she were a baby, nothing but goo's and gaa's. She laughed tiredly. Brown grass crinkled under her feet as she shakily stood, a determined gleam in her eyes. She wasn't going to go down that easily. Her previous attack served it's purpose: supplying her with the bells.

"Oh! Are we in time for the end?" Another genin jumped into the clearing. Kin had never liked the boy, after running and fighting all night she was seriously wishing everyone would hurry and show up. Then they could all die at once, or kill her at once. She was just getting tired of the endless fights with no reprieve.

"I have no idea what you assholes are saying. Dosu-baka took out my hearing a while ago." Kin called to by time while she thought of a plan of action. The boys seemed a little taken aback at that, not having known just what their friend's melody arm could do. "That's right. I can't hear a thing. For a sound shinobi you may think it's a death sentence."

Kin leaned back, executing a one handed flip and sending her bell bearing cords out with her other hand. They wrapped around tree trunks creating an extensive net that would be impossible for her opponents to break through easily. With a practiced motion she tapped one silver bell lightly, charging it with a minute amount of chakra. It glowed, and soon all the bells were ringing.

_Hopefully this will keep them busy for a while._

Zaku cursed at the genjutsu he now found himself in. Everything, from the birds to the moss covered tree's looked hazy making walking a chore in and of itself. Though not prone to motion sickness, the illusion did a good job of inciting it. "Damn. At least it's not an offensive genjutsu."

Dosu snorted. "No. But's it's going to give her a few seconds to hide again."

The other genin spoke up. "Wait, a few seconds? I can't move in this thing without getting the urge to puke, what do you suggest?"

Dosu raised his arm, moving back the gray military fabric that covered it. "Get down."

* * *

Squash the raccoon napped in the bushes. The others would be here soon, but he was a creature of the night and needed to get in what sleep he could. The sound of the village's early morning bustle was like a lullaby to the animal. He was curled up, but didn't have the trash-filled dreams so loved by his kind.

Instead he saw himself with a strip of human cloth wrapped loosely around his neck. As he ran openly down the city streets a mob of other creatures followed, also wearing the cloth. Everywhere an animal touched fire sprouted as they continued to run, with the crowd growing larger and larger as if more were being born from the fire. Squash could not figure out where the humans had gone.

He snarled awake and thrashed, in an attempt to throw off his 'attackers'. The last time the raccoon had woken from something touching him it had been a group of human children attempting to stuff him in a box. It wasn't his fault he had eaten a little too much mold the night before and was sluggish.

"Squash! Stop!" Cried a high squeaky voice.

The raccoon blinked his brown eyes and turned to his gathered audience. There was a young fox kit, several rabbits and squirrels waiting for his instruction. Squash sniffed and yawned. "My bad. Anyway, you, the fox, it's most important no one see's you. In fact, I thought I said no FOXES! Everyone else can get by but if a single human catches ya, you'll be dead before ya can say Kyuubi."

The fox nodded solemnly and crouched closer to the dirt beneath the meeting bush. Her ears quivered at every sound, be it natural or human. "Yes sir." Squash's fur bristled at her comment. He wasn't the officer type, he wasn't even on the raccoon hierarchy ladder!

"Is this everyone?" He asked the small group.

"Wey ore the for-runners. Ofter this, week, yes, we toke leorning to others." A hare claimed as it cleaned an ear.

"Fine then." Squash turned. "Follow."

Small paws made barely perceptible clicking noises as tiny claws touched drain pipes and rooftops. Squash and the squirrels moved from shadow to shadow along the rain gutters while the rabbits shot around the street. They were very organized and the raccoon couldn't help but admire them. The forest creatures were nothing like their city-bred cousins. Where the squirrels of his home had become docile and fat on the leavings of the humans, the ones keeping up with him still possessed wiry muscles and sharp eyes. He could tell they would be fast learners.

The rabbits were no exception. If possible, they were even more aware than the squirrels. Brown and white bodies zipped around the feet of humans and took shelter beneath stands and wagons. They jumped and twisted in mid-air to avoid touching anyone, but kept low enough to remain out of immediate eyesight. Their long ears differed greatly from the ears of the pet rabbits Squash had seen in cages. These swiveled constantly gathering sound and processing it into information the hares could use.

Squash paused a moment to check for the fox kit. She was no where to be seen. _As it should be, she shouldn't even be here._

Ten minutes later Squash leapt from a rain gutter to a small tree limb. The tree overlooked a school, and its bark barred scars from several years of abuse. Hundreds of children had used it as a target and it showed in the many cuts and crevices littering the trunk. "Try to act, bored." Squash suggested. "And spread out. There's nothing more suspicious than a bunch of animals of different species gathered in one spot."

Taking the hint, the squirrels searched out a bunch of nuts and assembled at the other end of the yard yet within distance of the drain pipe incase they should need to escape. The rabbits found various bushes to hide in, and Squash was surprised to see the fox kit emerge from beneath the ninja academy gate, slightly more dirty than she was previously. The fox sniffed the air and shot over to the tree, nothing more than an auburn blur. "I had to take a detour, sir."

Squash nodded and pointed at the door to the school. Several human children were walking out accompanied by a pair of adults. "You made it just in time. I believe this is what they call, Taijutsu practice."

"Taijutsu?"

Squash licked a paw and cleaned his fur while watching the students form rows for their instructors to more easily observe them. "It is the name humans give to traditional hunting. Without the fire."

The small fox wrinkled her nose and peered at the kids. "How will that help us?" She braced one paw against the tree and attempted to stand on her back legs, but lost her balance and fell.

"It won't. Not you anyway. But the squirrels it will help immensely. Tomorrow the older class will use the yard to practice their Ninjutsu. That's what you'll be interested in. Though…" Squash scratched at an ear and made a mental note to find a good sun bathing spot soon. "You should go down that way, and look in the fifth window. It's a younger class that will be studying chakra basics. Don't let them see ya."

The fox kit shook her fur out and scanned the area. Satisfied, she vanished from view.

* * *

Rai and his team stared out their slitted masks at the two mutilated bodies in the road. The signs of several villagers walking around the carnage was evident, but not all completely avoided it. Blood poured in such great quantities that small puddles had formed on the dirt road; particularly around the stumps of the unfortunate shinobi's legs. Yuukou slipped on a glove and lifted one large gauntlet claw to her face as she sniffed. The acrid scent of copper came to her nose and she tossed the weapon away in disgust.

"Just about all their weapons were coated in a poison. It's not common, seems metal based from the smell but I could be wrong. My nose is still tingling." She snorted and reached into her ninja pouch for some smelling salts to hopefully chase the horrid scent away.

Ayumu held his hands behind his back and peered at the two corpse torso's. "Both hearts were ripped out. That is unusual. Do you think the attacker lived?"

Rai was ANBU captain for several reasons. He allowed his two remaining subordinates to examine the bodies while he himself searched a spot on the side of the road. The grass was bent indicating someone or something had rested there for a good length of time. A patch of orange. The demon brat.

"It was the Kyuubi."

"Come again?" Ayumu questioned as he let Yuukou finish her work. "I'll admit the kid is a killer, a good one, but everything we have seen so far leads to the fact that he's lucky. And clever. But two fresh shinobi, with poisoned weapons? He should be dead!"

Rai ground his teeth and held up the sliver of frayed cloth. "How else do you explain this? Obviously the demon's power is growing, and we can't do anything. It's already long passed our time limit. The Hokage will be upset."

Yuukou stood quickly, a sick green glow faded from her hands, and she addressed her leader. "He's wounded."

"The demon?"

"I did a quick scan. I'm no medic-nin, but combined with my tracking background I could determine that there are three distinct blood types here. Comparing with the Mist-nin corpse's I can only assume that the third is the Kyuubi's. Consider that all their," she waved toward the bodies. "weapons are coated in poison, it is a safe bet the demon is weak."

Rai shook in anger. "What good is it?! We have to go back. Already have we over stepped our authority."

"But he's _injured_. He can't have gone far." Ayumu commented. The man wanted vengeance, blood, and violence.

"We would need to report this to the Hokage. If it is killing foreign nin as well, it could cause an international incident."

"I don't think so." Yuukou removed her glove and burned it, along with any traces of poison it may have picked up. "These two were reported as renegades by the Mist. No one will miss them, and Ayumu does have a point. Injured, we should be able to locate and eliminate the Kyuubi vessel within 24 hours."

"The Hokage…"

Ayumu shrugged. "It's up to you, Captain. Personally I don't see why we can't follow with what we have been doing, send one person back and the others go on. I want to finish this mission."

"We cannot let the Scroll fall into enemy hands. It is already in enemy territory."

Rai looked down at his hands. He wanted to get it all over with. He wanted to see the blood of that demon in a child's body flow. Yuukou and Ayumu wanted it as well. He took a breath and watched the sun. How far could the demon brat have gotten in that time? The bodies were cool, but rigor mortise had yet to set in. "Ayumu, you go back."

"What? Why not Yuukou, I want this."

Rai let his intent free to quell any protests. "Yuukou is our best tracker. The mission must be completed ASAP. Do I need to remind you that we already have gone overtime?"

* * *

Kin was tired. She had started to accept the fact the genin test would be the death of her when something bright and yellow caught her eye. Curious she turned to find the body of a small boy. Beads of sweat covered his face and he wore a bloodstained blue robe. _Is this some sort of illusion? But why? It makes no sense to try and trick me with this._

Tentatively the kunoichi approached the body, and the small tremors became noticeable. "Poor kid." Kin reached out and touched the boys forehead, gasping at the temperature. He had to have a fever well into the hundreds. Kin looked around, fears of her former classmates surfaced and she moved to leave but something pulled her to the blonde boy. Something attracted her to him. "If the others find him, he's as good as dead anyway. I suppose we both are."

Unbidden, memories of her life before the Sound village surfaced. She remembered growing up without siblings. The hard life at the orphanage. The harder life of training, of constantly having to push beyond her limits. Emotions and dreams were buried because only Orochimaru-sama mattered. Only the snake and his dream. Obey only him. Kin spat as fresh anger and resentment for the Snake Sannin bubbled up from her heart.

She carefully lifted the boy, surprised by how light he was, but let the stuffed animal in his arms fall away. Her knowledge of healing didn't extend beyond bandaging cuts but anything was better than leaving the boy alone. Even if it were to be the last hours of her life, she would live them the way she wanted to. Not according to some bastard's selfish desires.

"Shhh. Quiet." Kin wined as her wounds throbbed at the sudden weight, but she carried the boy piggy back into the tree's. He stopped whimpering, and for that the girl was grateful. The kunoichi located a small spring and removed her hair ribbon. Incredibly long hair fell all around her as she cleaned the child's face. His skin was unusually tan for Rice country, and the whisker like marks on his cheeks drew her attention. He reminded her of a chipmunk and she whispered fondly, "You're kinda cute, you know that."

The boy had stopped shivering but he remained unusually warm. If they survived, the long haired girl hoped that he wouldn't have brain damage because of it. He slept lightly, and Kin stroked his hair while waiting for her enemies. The end was near but she wouldn't let them see her fear. It had dried up with the appearance of the sleeping boy, his presence was somehow soothing. Kin Tsuchi wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?"

Kin closed her eyes at the muffled sound of Zaku's voice. She had yet to recover totally, and there was that damnable ringing in her ears, but she could make his speech out reasonably well. In total she was surrounded by five ninja, all ready and waiting to kill her. When Kin opened her eyes they were cold and distant.

* * *

Naruto didn't notice the person picking him up. When his thought process returned he felt a cold cloth on his forehead, and a pleasant smell of pine and blood filled his nose. Soon his hearing returned stronger than ever and Naruto groaned at the sharp ring of metal on metal. He curled into the fetal position and tried to block his ears before an irritating high pitched whine drove him insane.

"What's this? The little prick is moving!" Naruto blinked and looked into the waning light. Someone, a sound genin hopeful, was standing over him. The demon container growled at boy who oozed arrogance. "Dumbass. Think you can challenge us?" The nin plucked a kunai from his pouch and mimicked the motion of slitting his throat while staring at Naruto. The blonde took the hint.

Naruto rolled away from his attacker and bounced up. All around him were the signs of battle and he could see an exhausted girl getting kicked in the side. Blood leaked from her mouth, multiple cuts could be seen on her arms. Trees had been broken and splintered under a great pressure, dust floated in the air reducing vision capacity, and debris littered the ground making it difficult to walk. A headache pounded in Naruto's mind, causing him to squint and hold his forehead.

"Conscience? Where did Kyuu-chan go?"

The Kyuubi was absent. It had retreated to the very back on Naruto's mind to recover after spending it's energies on reconstructing Naruto's bone marrow. The blonde boy didn't like not hearing the comforting voice of the demon, and he was confused with the sudden change in scene. Waking up on a battle field would be disorienting for anyone.

"Conscience? Can you believe this kid?" Someone laughed.

Naruto sniffed the air. The girl smelled nice like the tree's, her eyes were having difficultly focusing on things. The gray of her fatigues was stained with blood, the majority of it her own. _They already won… why are they torturing her? Why don't they kill her? Conscience? Conscience?!_

Naruto shook his head in indecision. He caught movement behind him. A humpbacked ninja with a straw cape was opening the scroll! Naruto snarled and clapped his hands together. "You leave that alone, bastard!"

* * *

Kin gasped at the carnage being wrought by the small boy she had picked up. Her battle with the genin-to-be had been pitiful. It had taken less than five minutes and all she had been able to do was dodge jutsu and nick Joni. But the boy… he was extremely fast in comparison to his age and amazingly strong, though his style was extremely raw. He barreled into Dosu with his shoulder and knocked the genin into a tree. The girl was positive she heard something crack, and it wasn't the bark.

The blonde then lifted his small foot and brought it crashing down on Joni when the hand-to-hand fighter tried to come in from the side. Naruto clapped his hands together and screamed, suddenly splitting into multiple copies. Not mere bushin, but _kage_ bushin harassed the sound nin giving the boy time to gain the advantage.

Zaku managed the use his kunai with wind technique to impale the boy, but then blood splattered onto Maki who had been coming from behind after dispatching four clones with a spear. Upon contact the dark red droplets sizzled and Maki screamed in terror as the blood burned his skin like an acid, small wisps of smoke rising from the dermis.

Kyuubi had not been able to cleanse the poison from his host's body so he altered the body to adapt to it. Naruto's blood was now a mid level acid that, given time, could eat through metal. Human skin didn't stand a chance.

As the genin screamed and scratched at the burns Naruto rushed forward and used his claws to rip the head from the neck. The human cries were like knives cutting into his ears, only worsening his headache. With the boy silenced Naruto pulled the body around and threw it at the ninja with tunnels for arms.

He then used the replacement technique with a broken tree and punched a genin in the back of the head. It didn't kill the boy, but Naruto's follow up ripping out of the heart did, he was getting quite good at it. Joni attempted to perform a genjutsu to slow down the animalistic boy but Naruto avoided it by closing his eyes and allowing his ears, ridiculously sensitive as they were, to help him navigate. He created another batch of clones that linked arms and collectively henge'd into a heavy rock that successfully squashed the genin.

Only Dosu and Zaku remained. Both watched the boy with wary eyes, and Naruto crouched while following their movements. He stood protectively before the injured girl, a wicked grin slowly spreading on his face. Naruto pulled a blade from his leg. Like a machine he proceeded to pull out and throw the blades at the two remaining boys.

Zaku easily blocked with his wind tunnel but Naruto acted as if he had been expecting that. He ran forward and grabbed the arm, immobilizing it, and bit into the flesh of the boy's unprotected neck. With a jerk he pulled out a chunk of bloody meat and ignored the spurts of blood that came gushing out in time to his dying heartbeat.

While Naruto was absorbed with killing Zaku, Dosu teleported to Kin's side and jerked her upright by the hair. He peered at Naruto with his one eye, in silent awe at the animalistic nature of the boy. He wondered where Kin picked up the kid, but he would have to keep her alive to find out. He'd also have to keep himself alive. Normal attacks didn't slow the brat down. His only choice was to bargain.

"Come any closer and she's dead." Dosu warned. The sound ninja wasn't sure why Naruto seemed to care for Kin, he was certain they hadn't met before, but she was a weakness. Leverage he could exploit. He had learned long ago that friends and emotions were a hindrance.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, shifting their focus from haystack to pine. Did it matter if she died? He took a breath and watched Kin's hand twitch. Her eye lids fluttered as she struggled to remain awake and conscious. _Of course it matters! She didn't do anything, they're the bad ones!_Naruto prepared to move, when he noticed the almost imperceptible twitch of her lips.

Dosu's grip on Kin's hair loosened as he dropped to his knees. Red bubbles spilled from his throat. A shuriken covered with Naruto's blood had embedded itself in the boys neck. Kin smiled in satisfaction as she passed out.

Naruto looked around and wondered what to do.

* * *

Shidou groaned as he set the ice filled towel on the back of his head. He didn't have any mirrors in the cabin, but he was willing to bet there was a large black bruise where the ninja had hit him. Every time the bruise was brushed against it sent slivers of pain to cut into his skull. Sleeping had become especially difficult since he couldn't rest his head on anything. The woodsman nudged a piece of broken pottery with his toe and sighed. He still hadn't managed to find all the shards from the plates and vase.

He stood slowly and set the towel on the counter while picking up the broom. With slow methodical steps he swept the floor, praying that it would be the last time as he never liked house cleaning. Without the cold to deaden the nerves around the injury Shidou felt like each motion jarred his brain. It was painful, and annoying. _Gods. I'm not old. Why is this so debilitating? _

He swept the shards of clay out the door and into the dirt. Shidou stood in the doorway and leaned his side against the doorframe, enjoying the warmth of the setting sun on his face. His body still ached from the fight, and there were several cuts marring his face, but it didn't really matter. Not at that moment. The woodsman looked around his 'yard' and paused as an old fox slunk from the surrounding shrubbery.

She walked with the air of royalty and Shidou felt the hair on his arms stand up in response to her approach. While not the most feared human, as deep in the forest as they were animals generally avoided them. They were unknown variables. A human could simply be a lost camper or a dangerous trapper. Where their scent remained there was a good chance a snare did as well. Simply put, for an animal to come walking into his domain like it owned the place was not something that should happen.

He examined the vixen, curious if she was injured, and briefly noticed that all other wildlife sounds had ceased.

She examined him in return, her brown eyes lingering on the bandaged wound of his hip before moving up to his gray eyes. The vixen stared into them for a long time, and Shidou felt his lips quirk as he returned the favor. For many minutes they stood still, fox and human, as if waiting for some sign to attack.

The fox blinked.

"Ah ha! I win." Shidou exclaimed with a laugh. He had always been good at staring contests. Granted it was with an animal, but it had been entertaining.

She yawned and flicked her reddish ear. Shidou was turning to go inside when he heard a rough voice that resembled that of smoker on their death bed. "I hadn't… realized… we were competing."

* * *

Hinata leaned against the outer wall of her family estate, facing the street, and let the dying rays of the sun warm her face. It was bright and yellow, a symbol of hope and light, just like Naruto was. Naruto. Naruto Uzamaki. Thinking about the boy who had been her crush caused her chest to constrict painfully. Had had been her guiding light, but now he was gone. Probably dead.

"Naruto-kun…" The Hyuuga whispered the name like a charm, and memories of the energetic blonde flooded her mind. He was always so perky and never let other people get him upset. He remained positive and tried his best, refusing to conform to what others wanted him to be. She had wished many times she could learn form him and fight back against the people that got her down.

Hinata shrunk in on herself as her father came to mind. She slid down the wall, and tucked her knee's to her chest. No one bothered a Hyuuga, and her family members could care less about her when she was on the outside. She was a failure. The Hyuuga drop out. The only reason she hadn't been pushed off to housework was because she was the heir, and Hanabi was her back up. Most likely when her sister came of age she would inherit everything and Hinata would become the spare.

The girl shook and ducked her head down, fighting the tears that longed to spill. Naruto was gone. She was alone again. Completely alone. "Oi. Hinata. What are you doing? Shouldn't you be inside?"

Hinata swallowed dryly and glanced up, her mind racing back to the day before when she had been formally introduced to the loud boy as his teammate. Not quite as loud as Naruto. Kiba would never understand.

_My name is Inuzuka Kiba! I like my pack, hate cats, and my dream is to be a really strong ninja!_

A really strong ninja. Why couldn't he go with something more specific like Hokage? Naruto would have said that, but he was gone with ANBU after him. Surely they would catch him and… Hinata didn't want to think about that. She could not believe in Naruto's death. Naruto was her counterpart. Both shunned by society. Both trying to improve themselves beyond everyone's expectations.

"Oh Hi-na-ta! Earth to Hinata!"

Hinata snapped out of her memories and was surprised to find that she had the urge to snarl at the boy. She settled for a mild glare. "Kiba-kun."

He laughed and scratched the back of his head as Akamaru barked. "Finally. Thought you were high or something."

"It is dangerous for a shinobi to do drugs." Her voice was low, but with his advanced hearing he didn't notice it.

"Yeah well… what are you doing out here?"

Akamaru sat at her side and let out a short whine. Hinata smiled lightly and began stroking the rough fur. Both ninja's laughed when Akamaru sighed and rolled over exposing his belly. Hinata decided she liked the dog better than the master. She turned her pale eyes back to Kiba, hand working on autopilot, and considered her options. Should she tell him that she was prolonging the inevitable? Remising about her true love? No. He had been one of those that made fun of her orange clad crush.

It hit her like lightening. Slowly, a smile formed. For Naruto. From this moment on everything she did was for Naruto. Not for her father. Not for her village. Not even for her, for she was nothing without him. "Kiba-kun, would you like to help me train?"

"Eh? Didn't we do that already with Kurenai-sensei? I've still got bruises from when Shino kicked me into that rock." Kiba rubbed his side and looked down the street, eyeing a cat wearing a ribbon with utter loathing.

"Yes, but. Kurenai-sensei spends most of her time with me building up my chakra reserves for the Byakugan and teaching kunoichi specific techniques."

Akamaru rolled over and sat up, only pausing to scratch his ear, and barked something at Kiba. The boy shrugged. "But why would you need that? We're a recon team." He grinned and puffed up his chest. "Like sensei said, if we do get in trouble Akamaru and I can take of things."

Hinata stood up shakily, her bangs hanging down over her face concealing her pain. Even the dog boy thought she was weak and useless. "If you don't want to help…" She entered the compound leaving Kiba in the street.

* * *

Suna was known for two things, sand and heat. The rest of the world would avoid the place, some thinking that the sun had fried the native's brains, but the people of the desert wouldn't leave the dry wasteland. It was part of their souls, each and every sand grain held a piece of them and they loved it. Most of them anyway.

Such were the thoughts of one Kotaro Suzuhara as he blew out a stream of smoke from his pipe, staring out into the seemingly endless desert. He shook, and listened with a grimace as sand fell off of his form and onto the stone building. "Blasted sand. Get's in the gears, ruins the joints." The words came quickly to his lips as he repeated the familiar litany that had developed over the years. As a puppet maker, very different from the users, sand was his worst enemy.

His old clouded eyes glared at the offending grains and he turned, his pipe spinning in circles as he chewed on the end. The sun was near its midday point, and only a fool would remain out in the open when it was. Alone and unprotected from the heat anyone, including the hardened shinobi, could die of sunstroke and dehydration.

The old man flipped up his hood as he entered the shade of his home, a two story building of stone that from a distance blended perfectly with the desert landscape. In reality Sunakagure was the best _hidden village_ of all. It was very difficult to find for those who did not already know where it was. Kotaro laughed as he thought of the thousands of skeletons lost in the desert, people searching for the shelter the ninja village represented but never found. Even if travelers managed to bring plenty of water, sand storms could be just as deadly as dehydration.

"Kotaro-san?"

The old man coughed into his fist, all humor quickly evaporating. "Ah, yes. What is it Kurumi dear?" he spoke with a straight face as he looked the girl over. She was cute, which was why he chose her for apprenticeship. In the past puppet users created their own puppets as a sort of graduation test; however, over the years especially unique and useful puppets were passed down to new ninjas. As a result often a puppet master could perform basic repairs and maintenance but lacked the ability to truly create a new puppet. Hence the profession of puppet maker took hold, and the need to teach others to build them.

The teenage girl tucked one of her curls behind a pierced ear. "I've made the adjustments to the baa-sama design as you've requested. The torso can hold three times the previous volume now." She held out a thin slip of paper with several blueprints and idea's for new puppet models drawn on it.

Kotaro accepted the parchment and slipped a pair of reading glasses from his sleeve. "Interesting…"

The girl stood on her toes in an unconscious gesture of pleasure. She had been working on the designs for a year, and they were an attempt to puzzle out the weakness in an older model that Kankuro-dono would be inheriting soon. Grinning, the man lifted it to the light and clucked his tongue in disapproval as he ripped the sheet. Kurumi rocked back on her heels and bowed her head in submission, all pleasure evaporating at the sign of disapproval. "Kotaro-san?"

_It would be nice to get out of this oven for a while… but if I inform Kazekage-sama of the potential weakness, he'll want me to find a way to fix it. That would take so much time! _Kotaro let the pieces blow away in the wind. He rested a hand on the sad girls shoulder, inwardly pleased with her analytical ability. No doubt she had created smaller scale versions of the puppet in question to test the theory. She would be one of the best. "Now now, Kurumi dear, don't be upset. You did very well, but we can't let others know about something like this. The good far outweighs the bad, one weak link will go unnoticed by all but the makers. See?"

She nodded jerkily. "I suppose."

"Excellent. Let's go have tea, this heat is killing me."

* * *

Naruto was laying on the ground with his elbows in the grass and his head supported by his hands. His feet kicked in the air as he watched the sleeping girl. His conscience claimed that she was physically and spiritually drained, but the blonde didn't know what that meant. Roughly translated the voice said it meant she had multiple injuries and they best thing they could do for her was let her sleep.

Naruto tilted his head and took inventory off her many cuts and bruises. She certainly looked like she went through a war zone, and with the way those others had acted it would make sense. He dragged her over to a more sheltered spot away from the battle zone and waited.

"Naruto, why don't you take a nap? I can keep watch and wake you if something needs to be done." Whispered the voice seductively.

"But I'm not tired." Naruto reasoned. He had been before the fight but at the moment his mind was working round the clock and trying to puzzle out the days events. First he was attacked by those 'demon brothers' and then he found some weird wind based ninja. _Don't forget the pretty girl!_

"We don't think of girls as pretty! We don't need those kinds of distractions from our goal."

Naruto smiled as the girl in question whispered something and shifted in her sleep. "What's that? What's our goal?" The Uzamaki questioned. He had always wanted to be the Hokage, for if he was in a position of power surely everyone would have to acknowledge him. The voice on the other hand seemed to think there was something greater than Hokage.

Kyuubi smiled within the cage and relaxed as the boy's attraction to the girl faded. The fox would rather have liked to kill her. She would be cumbersome, but it didn't want to alienate the host by doing something that he opposed so much. As long as he did not think about her in 'that' way she might be a useful minion if used correctly. "Power. We need more strength, and perhaps allies? Yes. We need to be stronger. That is our goal."

"That's fairly vague." Naruto grumbled as he reached for the scroll. If his conscience claimed they needed power, then he should be reading the scroll again. It had plenty of techniques that would make them grow.

Kin grumbled and opened her eyes. _I'm alive?_ Her body was screaming in pain telling her that death would have been more merciful. She felt the warmth of a small fire and snapped up, fighting through the pain to reach for her kunai holster… that happened to be missing. Naruto had taken it off earlier and examined the contents searching for implements of femininity. It was no secret most Konoha kunoichi tended to store a tube of lipstick with their knives. Kin stiffened, an action that her back protested. "You!"

Naruto looked up with a grin. "Me!"

"You, what are you doing here?" Kin asked and looked around, her heart racing as her eyes searched each shadow for signs of her village's ninjas. It was unlikely Orochimaru cared that almost this year's entire Genin class had been wiped out, but he might send in some investigation teams out of spite. If the boy who helped her to got killed, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. Then again if Orochimaru did send out someone they might kill her as well, just to keep the numbers even.

"I was reading this…" Naruto went back to the scroll, completely missing the panic and worry in her tone. Kin could barely make out the title to his scroll with all the mud marring it, but the importance of it was unmistakable. "Why are all these shadow based?!"

Kin bit her lip and contemplated her situation. She was alone. She owed the impossibly strong boy her life. With a resigned sigh she tucked her legs under and bowed until her forehead touched the ground. It was difficult and she felt her ribs shift in protest, but she would do things proper. "My name is Kin Tsuchi. Please accept my thanks. Had you not been there, there is no doubt in my mind I would have died today. I am forever in your debt."

Naruto's eyes went wide. He didn't know how to react. The scroll tumbled as his grip went lax and jaw dropped. It rolled out along the ground and Kin glanced the first few techniques described, shadow clone and dragon.

Inside Kyuubi rolled its great red eyes. "Naruto, hold out your hand."

Naruto did so.

"Now put it on her head, we need to establish who is the master. Good. Tell her you will accept her as a servant."

The boy thought about those words as he pet Kin's hair. It wasn't nearly as soft as Sakura's had been and far below his own, but it was a nice change. "I'm Naruto Uzamaki! Kin-chan. You serve me now, and I want you to be my friend!" Naruto said forcefully, all business.

Kin allowed herself a small smile and sat up while observing the small blonde bundle that now commanded her. "I would love to." She meant it. This boy's mere presence broke down barriers long established and fascinated her. His eyes sparkled with the warmth of a joke only he was privy to. "What's this?" She asked reaching for the bit of scroll that had rolled near her.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as her hand went toward the scroll, and Kin paused. "You're not gonna try to take it, are you?"

"No. I was just curious. Only wanted to look at it." She backed away from the paper despite her wish to read it. Most of the skills would be beyond her level but the chance to get a look at valuable jutsu was sorely tempting. Still, Naruto was her master. If didn't want her to do something she would not.

Naruto broke out into a large grin and crawled over to the girl and the scroll. "Well that's okay. You can look all you want. Iruka-sensei just said I couldn't let anyone take it. See, I already learned this one. Shadow clones were ton's easier than the regular kind. Next is the Kage Ryu, shadow dragon but it says I need a tattoo before I can use it."

Kin sat down next to the boy as her eyes scanned the writing hungrily. "What's the problem then? You can get one of those in any city."

Naruto blushed and looked down. He had never liked hospitals, for various reasons. "I don't like needles."

The dark haired girl bit her bottom lip to prevent laughter, and couldn't understand the sudden urge she had to ruffle his hair. She would have, but it wouldn't be proper despite his childish appearance. "Then you'll just have to move on to the next one."

The demon vessel leaned back, into Kin, and grumbled, "That's just shadow shuriken. Kinda pointless if you ask me." He yawned. "I mean if I can make clones of myself, then they can throw their weapons and I don't need to make specific copies of the shuriken."

Kin glanced up through the thin tree cover and noticed the sun was nearly gone. She may have slept most of the day away but Naruto hadn't, at least she didn't think so. After the fight he should have been exhausted. "Why don't you get some sleep and think about it in the morning?"

Naruto scowled at her. Then he started talking to himself while rolling up the scroll. The act send alarm bells ringing in her head but she quickly squashed them. It was a known fact that the stronger shinobi tended to have quirks and she would be damned before she mentioned it. Nothing brought death swifter than angering the unstable and it wasn't like Naruto could hurt her by talking.

"I'm not tired! Sure my body is a little sore but," he waved his arms. "Up here I'm wide awake. What do you mean it's your fault? Well if I can't fall asleep it can't be helped. I'm sorry." Naruto grumbled the last part and pulled his knees up to his chest as a gloomy air took hold of them. He began muttering about a missing 'Kyuu-chan' and cursing haystacks.

Kin sighed. It was never fun hearing only half of the conversation and what she was about to ask was embarrassing. If Naruto was any different than what he was, that being a childish powerhouse, she wouldn't have even given the thought a second of consideration. "Would you, like a lullaby?"

Naruto looked up. "What's a lullaby?"

Certainly not a question the kunoichi was expecting. "It's something that parent's sing to their children to help them fall asleep."

"I'm an orphan. I never had any parents to do that." Naruto could be very blunt, and Kin felt like someone just stabbed her with a dagger. Yet there was something about the revelation that brought her closer to the demon child. She gave a dark smile and chuckled before replying.

"So was I. Seeing as neither of us has had a proper lullaby like 'Hush Little Baby' I think I'll go for something more… relevant." Naruto nodded at something only he could hear and rested his head in Kin's lap as she stroked his hair hesitantly and hummed in an attempt to remember how the tune went. Once she found the pace Kin began singing in a low tone so that only Naruto heard it. The kunoichi knew she picked well at the smile that blossomed on his face as his eyelids dropped.

"Joan was quizzical, studied pataphysical

Science in the home.

Late nights all alone with a test tube

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Maxwell Edison majoring in medicinem

Calls her on the phone.

Can I take you out to the pictures,

Jo-o-o-oan.

But as she's getting ready to go,

A knock comes on the door.

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer

Came down upon her head.

Bang, bang Maxwell's silver hammer

Made sure that she was dead.

Back in school again Maxwell plays the fool again.

Teacher get's annoyed,

Wishing to avoid an unpleasant scene.

She tells Max to stay when the class has gone away,

So he waits behind,

Writing fifty times _I must not be so_

Oh oh oh.

But when she turns her back on the boy,

He creeps up from behind.

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer

Came down upon her head.

Do do do do do

Bang, bang Maxwell's silver hammer

Made sure that she was dead.

P.C. thirty-one said _We caught a dirty one_,

Maxwell stands alone,

Painting testimonial pictures,

Oh oh oh oh.

Rose and Valerie screaming from the gallery,

Say he must go free. _Maxwell must go free._

The Judge does not agree and he tells them so,

Oh oh oh.

But as the words are leaving his lips,

A noise comes from behind.

Bang, Bang Maxwell's silver hammer,

Came down upon his head.

Do do do do do.

Bang, Bang Maxwell's silver hammer,

Made sure that he was dead.

Wow wow wow oh!

Do do do do do

Silver hammer Max."

**End Chapter.**

**A/N- Originally I planned to have Kin sing him 'Hush little baby', but then I was going through my mom's vinyl and I found the album Abbey Road. I love this song. It then occurred to me as I was on the couch that I could fall asleep listening to it. Ah ha! I think it's a bit better suited to this story than hush little baby. **

**I would suggest looking up 'Tsukumogami' on wikipedia. It'll be important latter on. **

**OMAKE!!**

**"Yes, but. Kurenai-sensei spends most of her time with me building up my chakra reserves for the Byakugan and teaching kunoichi specific techniques."**

**Akamaru rolled over and sat up, only pausing to scratch his ear, and barked something at Kiba. The boy shrugged. "But why would you need that? We're a recon team."**

**Hinata grinned and stood, her eyes blazing with an intense passion. "Because I'm going to be the next Hokage!"**

**END.**


	8. Haku

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- Iruka is **_**still**_** in the hospital, but he's quickly recovering. The ANBU searching for Naruto have been whittled down to two, and Naruto himself seems to have picked up a new friend. One of Suna's puppet makers longs for a vacation. The forest creatures are learning to control their innate powers, what exactly they plan to do with them is unknown to all but one.**

**Chapter Eight: Haku **

Morning light filtered into the small cabin from a curtained window. Pale rays of yellow light drew lines across dead crinkled herbs. Haku frowned at his pathetic collection and lifted a thin stalk for closer inspection. Brown eyes examined the decomposing leaves with concealed contempt before dropping it back to the table. It landed amongst the rest of its useless brethren, rusty brown a sharp contrast to the creamy white of their former storage scroll.

The plants had been a rare find around Takara, and their uses varied from dulling pain to dying fabric. It was a wonder they hadn't been found earlier and harvested for commercial purposes. Haku crushed a stem between his thumb and forefinger as he thought about the woman who had taught him about plants. Zabuza-sama filled the gap she left admirably, but sometimes…

Haku sighed as he felt a heavy presence appear behind him and block the light. The cold memory of the woman warmed and drifted away as more immediate concerns pressed on his mind. Due to various circumstances, the majority of which were too embarrassing to be remembered, he had been unable to properly sort and store his gathered herbs. Since it was only the two of them, Haku and his master, he had hoped they would arrive at the safe house quickly before any detrimental effects took hold of the plants. He hadn't anticipated the high decomposition rate. _All that time spent carefully selecting and picking them… wasted._

"Organics don't store well." A gruff voice commented, slightly muffled from mask like bandages covering the mouth. Zabuza glanced over his protégé's shoulder and mentally scoffed at the ruined herbs.

Haku's jaw tensed, an action that Zabuza noted with some humor. The boy always strived to be the best, and rarely let his emotions show through, but he was still a kid. Even when they first met on the bridge long ago, Zabuza could see that the body had come to reflect the cold ice the boy could use. Still waters ran deep, and reflected in those brown eyes was a tsunami waiting for the order to release. The missing-nin's lips twitched in what could have been thought of as a smile if they were visible. It was his tsunami.

Haku acknowledged the comment with a nod, and his arm blurred as it swept the contents of the table into the nearby waste bin. Scroll and ruined herbs clattered into the metal container testament to the effeminate boy's disappointment in himself. He should have known better. He wasted the scroll, wasted the herbs, and wasted time. "I apologize, Zabuza-sama."

Zabuza turned and adjusted the large sword that was always within reach of his person. Far from an elegant weapon, the blade had cleaved the heads from numerous opponents. He had lost count how many. Haku preferred the much more refined method of killing with needles, it took more skill and energy. To each his own. Zabuza glanced out of the corner of his eye noting that the boy's shoulders were marginally more tense than usual. He knew the boy's idiosyncrasies like the back of his hand.

"They have a root around here." Zabuza commented off handedly as he looked out the window. "Locally it's used in tea's to bring down swelling and fevers. It's a pale root, but thick, has small purple flowers."

Haku blinked and stood up, lips moving silently repeating his sensei's words. He shook his head to clear it from thoughts of herbology, opened his mouth to speak, but the older man continued ignoring him.

"This mission is simple enough. Apparently our client's daughter was taken in lew of payment by the local loan-shark. I'll scout the warehouse; spend the day as you will."

A cool breeze ghosted in through the still-open door. Haku smiled faintly, the feel of Zabuza's chakra rapidly receding. The boy reached up and released the tie in his hair. Long, silky black locks fell framing a visage that would not look out of place on a female model. "Thank you, Zabuza-sama."

* * *

Naruto sneezed as he woke, and he could feel a distinct chill against his back where some dew had gathered. He rubbed his arms to encourage blood flow. His limbs felt like ice and as warmth returned he wondered why his clothing was in such bad shape. Kin groaned in her sleep as Naruto moved around, he twisted and stared at a red-brown stain outlining a large hole.

"Ne, Kin-chan!" He pushed the mysterious hole to the back of his mind and sat up. Naruto grasped one of Kin's shoulders from where she was slumped and shook the half-asleep girl.

He stood and glanced around the clearing searching for any signs of danger, when the voice returned with a yawn. "Boy? What are you still doing here?"

"Conscience, why's Kin still asleep?" Naruto asked as he changed tactics and proceeded to repeatedly poke the girl's arm. She muttered something about snakes and shivered, still lost in her nightmare.

"Not everyone is an early riser, you know. I recall you used to be late for school, what, 4 out of five times?" The voice reasoned with a chuckle.

"But she doesn't have school, and she keeps saying things."

Kyuubi pondered this, images of the girls recently acquired wounds flashed to mind, and it sighed. Honestly, why was it that the only animal of the group had any sense? Why did the stupid girl fall asleep without dressing the wounds? They could be infected, or worse. _As long as Naruto's okay I could care less. If she dies I won't have to worry about her slowing us down._

Naruto bit on the inside of his cheek and looked around. "Conscience, I'm worried."

Kyuubi sighed. "I suppose now is as good a time as any. First aid 101. Pick up her wrist and check her pulse. Use two fingers." Kyuubi waited as the sensations transferred over to him, and was surprised. "Damn. Her heart's beating way to fast. You'll have to get her to a hospital or find some way to slow it down."

"Okay. Hospital. Gotcha." Naruto knelt down and placed one of her arms over his shoulder. "Wake up, Kin. You need to tell me where the hospital is!"

She blinked, and her eyes wandered unfocused. "No…no hospital. Can't go there. If he, if Orochimaru finds me…"

"Is that the snake you were mumbling about?"

"I don't want to go back. Naruto-sama…" She trailed off pleading, and Naruto felt his chest twinge. She was depending on him, she trusted him. Like Iruka-sensei. She was his friend, wasn't she? That was what happened last night.

Naruto remembered reading books when he was younger about heroes and friendships. Friends were supposed to protect each other. Friends cared and respected each other, or so the stories said. The blonde carried her over to a shady spot beneath one of the tree's and set her down. "All right, Kin-chan. No hospital, but I'll find some help."

He retied several knots in his scroll net, and slung it on. The scroll smacked against his back, brushing against the skin that had been exposed by the ruined clothing. Naruto gasped and stood straight as a tingle went down his spine. A small spark of red chakra leapt out and burned the scroll, dissolving the strip of seal parchment that marked it as something special.

"Let us go, Naruto." The voice whispered.

* * *

Niata cracked her neck and walked down the dusty hallway, her arms carrying a box of random instruments and papers for the civvies. Her thick brown boots were a far cry from the usual ninja sandals, but they served their purpose better than the sandals would. Close the border with Wind, it wasn't usual for their to be sudden downpours or sandstorms depending on the direction of the wind. The dessert brought sand and grit that irritated her toes, and the forest wind wanted to loose it's moisture before entering the arid wasteland. Niata didn't like mud either.

"Oi! Minato-saaaan!" Niata called out as she nudged open a door with her toe. The room was strange and filled with odd equipment. Niata didn't understand how most of it worked, but she didn't need to know. Her job was quite possibly the easiest off all shinobi occupations; it was so simple it only required one chunin. If it weren't for the maturity level required a genin could do it.

"Just put them over there." Minato waved a well manicured hand toward a desk already covered in papers. Some were printouts of dots and dashes, others bore the chicken-scratch Niata had come to recognize as Minato's handwriting.

The box squashed several papers as Niata dropped it, but it seemed that the blonde didn't care her things were a mess. It was just one more thing to add to the list of problems their outpost hand.

"Anything interesting today?" Niata asked as she brushed her hands on her green mini skirt and walked over to the other woman.

"Hmm? Not really? Some woman in Hokusai had a baby boy, and she's inviting her cousin to a party in a month, but other than that the lines been dead." Minato commented as she concentrated on drawing a picture of a fox with multiple tails. "Nothing interesting since the notice of the Jinchuriki going rouge. You?"

Niata sighed, she was too young to clearly remember the Kyuubi attack, but she certainly knew about it and what really happened. "Boring. None of the trip wires have been activated, not even by animals, and I just finished my Sudoku book. I won't be able to get another one until my tour is up."

Both women sighed. Ninja and civilian had come together to form a friendship out of mutual boredom. It was a known fact Konoha had one of if not the best intelligence network. Add to that the Fire Countries own civilian based communications system and nothing remained a secret for long. In theory their position was dangerous, but in the years they'd worked there nothing had threatened the telegraph post. Niata had recently posed the theory that no one attacked because no one knew they existed.

Unlike inner country posts, the lines that brought information to them were underground due to the large number of tree's and possible ninja battles. They were out of the way. Though Suna might have known about Morse code and the transmission lines, the changing landscape of the desert and repair costs made it impractical to be used there. No other country had a relationship with Konoha stable enough to merit technology exchange.

The women sighed again. There just wasn't any good gossip out in the sticks.

Before Minato a machine jumped to life, shocking the two women. Instantly she had a black sheet of paper and a pen at the ready, her eyes shining. Niata looked on with interest as a series of beeps and whistles were tapped out by machine. A wire extended to another machine across the room that began spitting out dot and dashed paper for record purposes.

The blonde woman nodded to herself and began writing rapidly. She stopped only seconds behind the machine and kicked herself away from the desk; narrowly missing the observing ninja. Her chair squeaked as it rolled across the floor and came to the cluttered desk Niata had left the box.

"What was it?" The shinobi asked as she watched her friend reach into the box and pull out a bag of round lettered pieces.

"A medical message. No matter how trivial, anything to do with medicine is to be given top priority." She pulled out three pieces from the bag and attached them to an old typewriter which had clearly seen better days. Minato smiled. "You have no idea how annoying it is to type with missing keys." Her fingers flew around the typewriter with satisfying clicks.

She spun the wheel and withdrew the paper, which actually contained something legible compared to her handwriting, and folded it up like an official document. Niata accepted it with a 'where to'.

"Suna."

"Oh. Okay." Niata ran up the stairs just for the heck of it, and burst open the attic door. "Yosh!"

"My name is Yoshi. It's one bloody letter!" An angry man yelled as he attempted to clam the disturbed birds. He wasn't doing too well.

"Sorry, Yosh. Anyway, this needs to go to Suna." Niata brandished the letter like a shield. "Medical Message."

He rubbed his neck and nodded. "Then It'll need our fastest bird. Beasty? Are you ready for a flight Beasty?"

The falcon shrieked and hopped. Niata just rolled her eyes. Yoshi was a bird trainer, but he babied his charges more than a shinobi trainer would. Still, he got results, and the post was technically under civilian control. Which was part of the reason it was always so disorganized, Niata privately thought.

Yoshi rolled the letter up and attached it the falcon, before kissing it on the head. "Go with grace, my Beasty."

* * *

Zabuza peered through the leaves of his cover feeling disappointed. Several people had been working around the warehouse his target was presumably located. He had counted no less than thirty-five guards, but none of them would pose a challenge and that depressed him. How was he to test Haku's growth when all they had to kill were weak small time crooks?

_Haku…_ The boy was probably out in the forest around their temporary base looking for the root he'd mentioned. Somehow he never lost his intrinsic innocence of childhood, never seemed to connect the dots that would jade normal people. _He looked like a lost puppy on that bridge, waiting for someone to take him in._

Haku had been a priceless find in shinobi terms. Not only did he have a valuable bloodline, rare after the purge, but a quick mind and interest in medical herbs. It was because of the boy's base in herbs that Zabuza had postponed his rebellion. Training with the undertakers had vastly improved Haku's arsenal and Zabuza was never cheap when it came to his tools, and Haku was his favorite.

The demon brothers had been good tools as well, but they didn't matter anymore. Shinobi did not dwell on the past, not if they wanted to live.

Zabuza shifted and watched a young man exit the building, his gait betraying his drunkenness. The missing-nin had been observing the man for some time, and with every appearance his alcohol consumption had been increasing.

Foregoing the massive sword at his back, Zabuza reached into his arm warmer and withdrew a single kunai. He had been listening to various conversations of the guards and found out that the drunken man was the son of the leader, one henge and he'd be in. _Just a brat. A spoiled brat that doesn't understand the meaning of anything. He's never had to earn anything, daddy's provided everything._

Zabuza leapt soundlessly from his perch, he hadn't been in the assassination squads for fun, at least not entirely. As annoying as it was to go through the system he had learned what he wanted. The ninja trailed the boy from the trees, sneering behind his mask of bandages, watching as his target tripped and cursed. Spit flew from his mouth, and Zabuza could imagine the stench of alcohol that accompanied the curses the idiot spoke.

Their client didn't care how it was done. In reality, he wasn't so much a client as a contact; a provider of information. Zabuza mused on their deal as he watched the pathetic excuse for a person get up and continue toward the main town. In exchange for a place to stay, they missing ninja had been contracted to retrieve an old man's daughter alive through any means necessary. Zabuza had almost declined, but then he heard that he could take whatever he wanted from the syndicate and no troublesome authorities would be alerted. Who knew what they kept in there?

"Damn bitch! She'll be begging me to take her after today…" The man said with a slur. Zabuza would have arched an eyebrow if he had one. Was he talking about his target? Perhaps he would live a little longer to see if anymore information would be coming. The ruthless nin thought it over and laughed.

"No. I don't think so." Zabuza gripped his kunai lightly, ready to throw. He'd have to do it soon if he wanted to avoid the body being discovered.

The man spun. "W-who said that!"

_This is too fun._ "Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver? Maybe the heart. That's a classic." His voice seemed to be coming from every direction confusing and terrorizing the small man in the road.

"S-stop hiding! Come out or I'll hunt you down!" The man yelled as he spun around, eyes searching for the invisible person, hands going for a weapon concealed beneath his coat.

_He has a weapon, but it's not cared for._ Zabuza scoffed and threw the kunai with pinpoint accuracy. It glinted in the clear sunlight once before digging into the soft flesh of the man's chest. Zabuza dropped down and walked to man while taking pleasure in his fear. Frothy blood bubbled out the dying man's mouth as he tried to scream.

Zabuza had picked the lungs.

* * *

Haku crouched close to the ground, senbon at the ready. His brown eyes examined the target, weighing the advantages of attacking at various points. _I'm really putting too much thought into this._ The boy thrust his slim weapon downward and it easily pierced the soft red-brown dirt native to Rice Country.

He worked a circle around the small purple flower with the sebon to loosen dirt. Occasionally he stopped and tugged the stalk of the flower testing if it was ready to pry from the ground. Haku smiled and jerked on the flower, unearthing an oddly thick root resembling ginger in it's shape. _Maybe I can replant it somewhere else, but we probably wouldn't stay long enough to see the effects of a new environment. I should start brewing the tea tonight._

Haku turned to put his prize in a basket he'd brought along, but a small bird was perched on the handle. He smiled and thought about trapping it. There was a white bunny at the cabin that might appreciate some company. The renegade ninja sat the root on the ground and cupped his hands even though he doubted he would actually catch the bird.

The small sparrow's head tilted, watchful.

"Eh? Hey, do you know which direction the town is?" A cheerful voice caused Haku to turn around, surprised at being caught unawares. Zabuza wouldn't be pleased about that, but it was just a kid.

Haku whipped his head around too late. The bird was gone. He mentally shrugged and placed the root with the two others he'd found that morning before returning his attention to the younger boy behind him.

"Are you lost?" Haku asked while his shinobi habits came forth. The boy was younger yet Haku got the feeling he was actually older than his frame suggested. He had crystalline blue eyes that on initial examination sent a chill down his spine. Something lurked in those eyes, a hidden anger that smoldered waiting for the prod that would bring it out with righteous fury.

When he noticed the bloodstains on the child's clothing Haku smiled pleasantly to conceal his worry. Maybe someone had already prodded the anger out. If that was the case the blonde boy could be a potential threat. It was also odd for such a small boy to be carrying a heavy scroll, and the forehead protectors dangling from the net hinted at past victories. Haku's mind drifted toward the small amount of senbon sitting in the basket.

Naruto squirmed under the scrutiny but didn't say anything. This unknown person's eyes didn't carry the unbridled hate that had been so common back in Konoha, and as long as it didn't hold that he could put up with it.

"Um. I'm not lost, exactly. Do you know where I can get some help?"

The voice hissed in agitation. "This one is dangerous. He's a shinobi."

Haku stood and picked up the basket. "What kind of help do you need?"

Naruto paused. "What kind of help do I need?" That was a strange question to the Kyuubi container. How many times had he been asked if he needed help? At the moment though, he felt fine. Kin was the one that needed help. "I don't need any help."

Haku observed, and decided the boy might require further study. _Maybe he's suffering from some sort of head injury._ "I'm gathering some medicinal herbs. Would you like to accompany me?"

"Medicine? Yeah!" _Kin doesn't want a hospital, but if I hang around this guy I might get some medicine. Perfect!_ "Hey. I'm Naruto Uzamaki. Nice to meet you!" Naruto grinned widely displaying unnaturally sharp eyeteeth.

Haku smiled back, though his was more subdued. Naruto's fang like teeth reminded him of an old vampire movie his mother had liked. "They call me Haku, pleasure's all mine."

When Naruto turned around, presumably in the direction Haku was heading for more roots, the mist trained shinobi froze. The back of his yukata was practically non-existent. Something had eaten a large hole in it, and there was a pale scar stretching across the bare skin. For a scar like that to have formed the wound would have had to be deep, most likely fatal or paralyzing. Everything Haku knew about healing was set on a ledge and dangerously close to falling. The boy was interesting.

"Here. I'm looking for these flowers." Haku began the same process as before to dig up the root and keep the whole plant intact.

"It's pretty. I bet Kin would like one. She's a girl, and she's got that purple ribbon." Naruto commented.

"Girls always like flowers, then?"

Naruto sat back and began going through the basket. "Of course. Why else do you bring them flowers on birthdays and anniversaries?"

"Do you think I like flowers?" Haku laughed. He didn't get the answer he expected.

"No. Haku does not like flowers the way girls do." Naruto stated as he found one of the senbon, and then began to use it as a toothpick.

The feminine boy thought. "Why do you say that?"

Naruto's expression made it clear he thought the question was stupid. His conscience had said Haku was a boy, and though he appeared the opposite his conscience was never wrong. Never. "Because you aren't like most girls. What were you planning to do with these things? They don't look like normal needles, and you don't look like a normal doctor." The blonde ended his words with a flourish of the senbon; the metal flicked up and down in his mouth when he chewed the end. It slashed his unprotected tounge, and Naruto felt his eyes tear up as he spat out the weapon.

Haku lifted a hand to offer assistance, but dropped it when he saw that the younger –stupid- boy was fine. Blood tended to clot faster in the mouth. "Who's Kin? Is she your precious person?"

"Precious? What is precious?" Naruto wasn't completely ignorant but he had difficultly shifting his paradigms. He recognized the word, but had most often associated it in relation to valuables like 'precious stones'. Family heirlooms could be precious. _What about family members? But I don't have any._ "I don't think I have any precious people."

"That is very sad." Haku meant it. To him, not having a precious person was akin to dying. Revenge, hate, and selfishness only brought more pain in the end. "To not value anyone, it must be a very lonely world."

"It can be…" _Do I value anyone? Yes! Yes I do!_ Iruka's smiling scarred face flashed in his mind. That image that had burned though the hate filled glares of the villagers fed his soul, healing his heart bit by bit. The teacher had been his pillar of support in Konoha, and kept him from falling into suicidal despair. "…but I think, as long as you have one person, it's okay." Naruto nodded to himself.

"So then, you have someone?"

"Yup, and… holy shit! You know healing things, right? Right?" Naruto asked, desperate. _How could I be so stupid? Kin's a precious person too! _

Within a cage, Kyuubi paced with bristled fur. It had been close, so close to getting the boy to forget about the weak female. _Well, maybe not totally weak, but still. _She was a liability. She wasn't in any fighting condition, and the fox demon could feel something coming. With the seal in place his temporal abilities were severely hampered, but he could still sense when a vital turning point was close.

After expending so much chakra helping the boy with the two chunin, and healing his wounds during the free-for-all, Naruto's body was tired. It didn't show, but at the cellular level his body was at the limit.

Kyuubi stared at the wall, her mind going into crunch time as he tried to come up with a plan.

* * *

Sarutobi, the third Hokage of Konoha, closed his eyes and listened. Ninja's stepped lightly, but when one knew what to look for he could hear their passage past his door. Few bothered him, and those that did insisted that he take a break.

He'd gotten little sleep over the past week, only a few hours here and there. Bags had formed beneath his eyes and his bones were finally starting to feel their age. Every step ached; he couldn't decide if it was real or his mind punishing him for letting everything happen. _I should have stepped in. I should have taken care of him._

"There's nothing I can do."

_Nothing I can do for Naruto. The council won't let me overlook this exploit, even if he did come back willingly._

The Hokage shook himself and reached for a thin folder that had been left on his desk this morning. His secretary must have left it there when he had gone outside. Several slips contained the selected teams for the years academy graduates, and if they passed or failed their 'teamwork' examination.

The old man chuckled at the thought. Not every jounin sensei tested for teamwork, despite Konoha's emphasis on it. If they had lived up to their ideal, Naruto wouldn't have been pushed so far. His situation was the fault of the whole village.

The slips listed team eight, consisting of an Aburame, Hyuuga, and Inuzuka, and team ten, a Yamanaka, Nara, Akamichi, as passing. Team ten had the teamwork thing, or rather they believed in the 'if I work with you I only have to put in half the effort'. Team eight just worked well together but their sensei claimed that they may have looked good on paper but were almost always at each others throats. Their saving grace was the ability to put personal grudges aside for the good of the mission.

Team seven was in limbo. It consisted of two people, and they were still waiting to be assigned a sensei and a third member. Naruto would have been ideal but…

"Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno." _The top of the class in practical, and top in theory. Kakashi should have been assigned. _"Sasuke's been mostly left alone, too."

There were no free genin to fill the position. Sasuke and Sakura would have to remain on the reserves list, or go back to the academy and await to be sorted next year. Visions of an angry Uchiha prodigy flitted through Sarutobi's head. The boy would not take to being sent back well.

The third rubbed his forehead and called for a cup of tea. His secretary entered promptly with a pleasant smile, though he could see the nervousness in the slight dip of her shoulders. She set the cup and saucer on the desk. Sarutobi nodded a dismissal and reached for the cup. He couldn't help but groan as a hated folder entered his view. The Root profiles.

She couldn't have known he had been trying to ignore it.

Like lightening a thought hit him, and Sarutobi smiled. He propped his feet up on the desk and sipped his tea with one hand, the other was flipping rapidly through the root profiles. He didn't have to assign a genin to the Uchiha and Haruno, did he? There.

No name, but the picture and stats were enough. The root member was pale, almost albino, with short black hair and an expressionless face. He was strong, a high chunin level the profile claimed, and just the right age.

Sarutobi chuckled for the first time in what felt like a century. _Danzo won't like me using his special ops like this but... screw him._

* * *

Haku arched an eyebrow as he examined the Sound kunoichi resting fitfully beneath a tree. She might be a threat, though the amount of damage she could do would be extremely limited. Blood had caked in several places and the medically minded ninja mentally sighed at the incompetence the make-shift bandages demonstrated. He reached into the sleeve of his robe and retrieved his medical kit.

Naruto watched in fascination as the long haired boy unfolded a pack of leather revealing several different types of cutting instruments. Haku selected a rounded pair of scissors and began cutting Kin's top off, though he was careful when removing the cloth that had been cemented to her body by the blood.

"I'll need to clean this. Could you go get some water?" Haku asked without looking up from his work. He took a pair of tweezers from the kit and started removing tiny bits of debris from Kin's wounds.

"Okay." Naruto jumped up and grabbed a canteen while running to a stream, happy. His friend would be alright. _Kin-chan's my first friend. A precious person._

"Oh really?" The voice groused. "Left turn here."

Naruto turned and quickly found himself at the smallest stream he had ever seen. It was more like a trickle that passed over some rocks. He knelt down, absently scratching at his back, and dipped the container into the water. The action disturbed the mud, and Naruto cursed as he was forced to move upstream and try again for clear water.

"You think that's enough?"

No answer.

"Conscience?"

Naruto screwed the cap back on and headed to the clearing. He chewed his bottom lip and glanced around worriedly. Was his conscience upset with him? Should he have listened when it suggested leaving Kin and heading on, alone? Where was Kyuu?

"I need to wash it." Haku gestured for the canteen which Naruto quickly gave.

Haku methodically rinsed the area, and Naruto grimaced at the angry red swelling around the cuts. His injuries never lasted that long. While the jinchuriki had been gathering the water Haku had crushed several of the roots he'd gathered that morning with a few herbs he kept on hand. What little water that had been left after cleaning the worst area's was mixed with the herbs creating a paste that, to Naruto, smelled like clovers.

Kin shuddered and snapped her eyes open. She let out a startled gasp and reached for a weapon, only to find that her kunai holster was missing.

"Kin-chan!"

She then realized her breasts felt unusually free and cold. Blushing in anger and embarrassment, Kin wrapped her arms around her chest and glared at everything she could lay her eyes on. "What-is-going-on." Kin bit out.

"Miss, please relax and let me finish applying the ointment." Asked a soft voice.

Kin tucked her legs closer to her body and did not relax. Her hard training in the sound village would not allow her to drop her guard. "Ointment?"

Naruto crawled over, eyes sparkling. "Yeah. You didn't want a hospital right? I found you Haku! Haku knows medicine stuff."

_Well, we're both girls but… _

"Is something troubling you?" Haku asked politely.

"It's just that, men… girl things…" _Why is this so embarrassing to explain. As much as I owe Naruto-sama I do have some modesty. _Kin looked down, and was surprised to hear a small explosion that normally accompanied a transformation jutsu. The girl glanced in Naruto's direction and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

A very female, and obviously well developed Naruto sat smiling with only a few wisps of smoke concealing her breasts. "Now we're both girls!" She nodded sagely, leaving Kin to sigh in defeat and Haku clapped one hand over his mouth in an attempt to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

"Raise your arms." Haku asked, inwardly giggling at his new… acquaintances… he hesitated to call them friends. No doubt he and Zabuza would be leaving in few days, and he would never see the two people again. Best not to get attached.

When the girl lifted her arms Haku began wrapping a roll of gauze around her torso. She was pleased her lord found her some help and respected her wish not to go to a hospital, but a small portion of her mind was worried. She couldn't understand why.

Haku gave a sharp tug and secured the bandages tightly. The missing nin re-wrapped his surgical kit and stood up. "I would suggest you don't do anything taxing for the next week. Naruto-kun? You should redo the bandages every few days, at least." Haku handed the naked blonde a large roll of bandages and turned to leave. "I should be going."

Naruto waved slowly, torn between joy that his second minion would be okay and sadness that his new friend was leaving them. "Bye Haku-kun!"

Kin froze. _Haku-kun?! I thought he was a girl!_

* * *

Kyo entered the hospital calmly, almost wishing his superior hadn't told him how important the mission was. He probably wouldn't be so nervous if it had been put off as something to pass the time, as it was every gaze sent a shiver of warning down his spine. Medic nin were known to get violent when their orders were ignored. _You can do this Kyo. Act cool. Just checking up on an old acquaintance. That 's it._

The reception nurse glanced up from her work and smiled at him. Immediately Kyo's training kicked in and he began looking for a sign –any sign- that she suspected his true intentions. The smile wasn't forced, and her eyes didn't give the subtle dilation that alerted interrogation specialists to lies. Her whole body was relaxed. He was safe, for the moment.

"What room is Iruka-san in?"

"Iruka? One moment." She turned, her chair giving a small squeak, and began breezing through files. Kyo couldn't help but watch her. She had long fingernails any kunoichi would envy and they flicked the manila envelopes to the side with surprising ease. The nurse stopped. "He was just transferred down a level. We finally convinced him he'd heal faster if he wasn't trying to burn himself up with chakra. Room 204."

Kyo turned to be on his way, and nearly had a heart attack when her voice called him back. Rookies weren't meant to be doing this sort of thing!

"You forgot to sign in." Her voice didn't carry any discomfort, only humor. He took the pen she offered with a forced blush nearly as red as his hair and quickly jotted down his name. Seki Kyo.

Nurses bustled by, some caringly bandages, others laughing. _It's only ever this calm during peace time._ Kyo rubbed the back of his neck and started up the stairs, one hand on the rail. What exactly did Ibiki want him to do? Questioning an injured man wouldn't get them very far. Pain killers and drugs worked against them, and only the best knew how to differentiate between chemically induced words and true confessions.

This was not something Kyo should be doing. The young man paused outside the door to room 204 and marveled at the fact he actually wanted to be in the dank dungeons. At least he knew what to do there.

"Good afternoon, Umino-san." Kyo commented dryly, with only a hint of cheerfulness.

The chunin blinked and turned his head toward Kyo, who swallowed nervously when he caught sight of the older man's eyes. He was supposed to be blind, but the thought didn't comfort Kyo in the least. Iruka's pupil's had stretched to their limit, practically eradicating the iris. Beside that, the whites of his eyes had become red from increased blood flow. It was disturbing to say the least. Kyo got out his notepad.

"I'm afraid I don't recognize you…"

"Kyo. You can call me Kyo. I just need to ask you a few questions, sir. Nothing too terrible." _If I push to hard it would only take a second for him to reach the call nurse switch. _

Iruka folded his hands and leaned back onto a pillow, somehow his head followed Kyo's movement to a chair across the room. Kyo attributed it to the sound his notepad made when he flipped it open.

"What made you go to the clearing Naruto Uzamaki was located the other night?"

There was a long moment of silence, and Kyo noted that Iruka's hands tensed. He was worried, but the question was, about what?

"As you probably know, Naruto was in my class. Though not the best student, you could say I watched him more. After a year it wasn't hard to put myself in his place and figure out where he would go to hide with something so valuable."

_He referred to him as Naruto. He has feelings for the vessel._ "Why didn't you think to tell anyone?"

Iruka shrugged. "At the time it was only a guess. I didn't think it would be wise to spend so many of the searchers on one area if it proved to be wrong."

"I see." _Or did you want the scroll for yourself? Were you planning to help the kid escape with it? _"Mizuki is dead. Can you describe what happened to cause it?"

Iruka paused. He was no fool. The man wasn't just trying to form a report on the incident, he was gathering information that would be picked apart by the best. Kyo had never been in his class, but he remembered an older teacher bragging about a Kyo. Kyo Seki, far from the best in class, but with a mind that rivaled the best if pressed. The man had been bragging that his student had forgone jounin exams and moved into internship with the Interrogation squad.

Iruka formulated a reply. "I arrived on the scene shortly after Mizuki. I hid myself, thinking that he could handle things on his own, and listened in case my fellow teacher needed backup however unlikely. What I heard was incriminating, and I realized that there wasn't enough time to call for help.

"Naruto asked if he could have more time. Apparently Mizuki told him that if he stole the scroll of seals and managed to learn a technique he could graduate. Naruto has failed the past four times he's tried. Mizuki then called him a fool and began revealing the secret.

"That was when I interfered. We fought, with Mizuki constantly trying to kill Naruto and take the scroll. Fearing for both the boy's safety and the scroll, I admit it wasn't the wisest choice, I told him to take it and run. Then I blew us up."

For several minutes all that could be heard was the faint scratching of pencil on paper. Kyo chewed on his pencil. "Do you know where Naruto may have gone? Put yourself in his place, as it were."

Iruka shook his head. "Naruto's never been outside the village, and he always slept in class if he could." The chunin sighed after a calculated pause. _Two can play this game._ "He would go anyplace but Konoha."

"Can you think of any other town he might have thought to visit?"

Kyo thought it was eerie how the blind man could shoot any looks in his direction. Particularly annoyed ones. "Naruto doesn't even know the names of other Hidden Villages, what makes you think he would know a civilian one?"

"Right. Thank you for your time, Umino-san."

Iruka closed his eyes and frowned as the man exited. His time with Kyo had put some things into perspective.

After he got out the hospital, Iruka would be going through one hell of a training regime.

* * *

Rai followed closely behind his subordinate, every now and then his eyes would drift to the small stuffed animal held in her grip. The woman had discovered only an hour or two ago and claimed that it was covered in the Kyuubi vessels scent. Rai had to agree, though his apprehension had grown since they picked it up. _Why was it left there, where we would find it? A fox. The brat left a bloody fox behind. It's like he's taunting us._

Yuukou began to slow and she held her free hand behind her back while forming signals in ANBU assassination language. They were closing in on their target. Rai tapped her shoulder and took the lead while silently ordering her to circle around. She nodded and leapt to the side, soon vanishing among the foliage.

No one got to be a captain by taking stupid chances. This true at all levels, and ANBU was no exception. As Rai approached the small clearing his heart rate increased exponentially as adrenaline coursed through his system. The Kyuubi brat would be dead soon. _No. Not yet._

The thought of the fox plush wormed it's way into the forefront of his mind, and he paused. Just how strong had the child become without them knowing? Was he expecting them?

Rai clasped his hands together and allowed his form to melt into the background. He would wait and watch.

The ANBU captain slowed his breathing and tried to control his heartbeat as he peered into the clearing. The blonde menace still had the scroll, that was good. At least they wouldn't have to waste time looking for it. _Who's the girl? That must be the Hidden Sound symbol… is the demon getting help from the enemy? It would make sense._

It was all too convenient for the experienced ANBU. As much as he would like to rush in and slaughter the two people on the ground he couldn't risk it. As he had said before, they didn't do unknown variables. Wait and watch, once they could be sure of the situation he and Yuukou would move quickly and annihilate them with surprise. Silent assassination.

For a moment Rai's breath caught in his throat and his heart stilled. The girl, the unknown quantity was staring right at his position. _When there's too many coincidences, there are actually none._

He didn't know how she could have seen through the jutsu, but when she opened her mouth the warn the jinchuriki his thought was confirmed. Rai cursed and released a salvo of kunai. It looked like they would have to fight right off the bat anyway.

* * *

Kin held her cut shirt in her hands sadly. She had liked it the gray camouflage but now it was unusable. Typical medics were always worried about moving their patients and ended up ruining good clothes. "Not like it would last much longer with all the holes in it, I suppose." Kin muttered to herself and she folded her top and tucked it into her pants pocket. It be useful as a cleaning cloth and she didn't like being wasteful.

"Are you okay, Kin-chan?" Naruto asked when he noticed her mutterings.

She waved his question away and looked at his own terrible clothing. Before it had been very fine, but now it was near rags. Shinobi were certainly hard on their things. _We'll need to get some armor then. I feel half-dressed with only bandages covering my breasts._ "We need to get some new clothes."

Naruto nodded and shrugged out of his sleeves. "Yeah, but I don't think I have enough…"

"It's fine. We're ninja's. We can always…" Kin stopped and turned her head, the hairs on her arms stood up in response to some long forgotten instinct. Danger. A predator.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The steady beat barely registered against the many sounds of nature, but it was unmistakable to a shinobi trained in the Sound Village. A heartbeat. It wasn't hers, or Naruto's. Her gaze went to the tree's as she tried to locate the unknown watcher, but she couldn't see anything. _Wait, those leaves are…_

"Naru-!"

Kin cut off as she was forcibly rolled to the side by her master. Naruto crouched over her, and through sheer luck the weapons that had been sent to silence her had found themselves buried in the scroll.

Two masked ninja entered the clearing and Kin's stomach churned. No matter what village or name, the masked shinobi were the best. Even if Naruto-sama could take on genin he couldn't fight elite nin. They would die.

Naruto moved to face them, and a low growl echoed around the clearing. "Konoha ANBU."

"Uzamaki. We're here to get back the Scroll of Seals and execute you. We can do it quick and painless or slow and brutal." Once of the ANBU said with a slightly garbled voice. Kin was willing to bet it was a woman, but after Haku she wasn't so sure. _Not like it will matter once we're dead._

Naruto actually laughed. "I don't give up."

"Slow and brutal it is."

* * *

Haku was halfway back to cabin, deep in thought, when it occurred to him that he had forgotten the whole reason for the outing. His basket of herbs had been left with the boy and girl. "Oh."

The ice user turned and began running back. He had been so preoccupied trying to figure out how the blonde knew he was a boy he had forgotten about his herbs. Zabuza-sama had given him the time off to gather them and if he returned without the roots the whole day would have been wasted.

Perhaps not entirely wasted, he had helped the girl, but the older ninja wouldn't care about that fact. Haku raced through the forest, his speed unmatched by any his age. Oddly, the smell of smoke reached his nose and changed from earth-bound travel to tree-bound. Alarms rang in his head and he reached into his light robe.

The mask he took out of bone white with a single blue swirl accenting it. It was a mask of the Mist Shinobi hunters, and he had taken it from his first kill. _So many memories. _

Haku placed the mask on his face and attached it with a sliver of chakra. Instantly everything became sharper, clearer, as if there was a fog that covered the world and it had only just then lifted. Very few knew the true nature of Mist Hunter masks. Not even Haku understood the full capabilities of them until he put it on for the first time.

Haku moved carefully and watched as his two acquaintances managed to trap a masked ninja and wound her, but the woman cut the wires and jumped away leaving an explosive tag in her place.

Naruto groaned as the heat from the explosion burned his exposed back. They were going to die. Haku bit his lip and flicked his wrist instantly summoning three senbon to his hand. Watching the practically one-sided fight didn't feel right. Even though it was only for a moment, he still knew those people.

The Mist trained shinobi reached back and took aim. _I already spent half the afternoon healing her. I'm not going to let that damned hunter ruin my work._ The trio of sebon flew through the air and collided with a brace of shuriken knocking them off target. The ANBU turned in the direction the senbon had come, but Haku was already moving.

He flitted among the tree's like a ghost, his speed equal to that of most Jounin. The male ANBU caught a flash of pink and rapidly formed hand seals to launch an earth missile toward the new threat. Haku flipped over the speeding ball of rock and twisted, releasing more senbon as his anger began to build. _No mercy. These people are just as lethal as Hunter Nin. If I allow them to live they'll just come back stronger. _

Hunter nin wanted to kill Zabuza-sama, and Haku by proxy. He wasn't about to let that happen.

"Makyou Hyoushou." Haku twisted his fingers into something resembling a diamond and began pushing his family's unique chakra into the air. There was ambient moisture in the air and Haku smiled sadly beneath his hunter mask. His technique utilized ridiculous amounts of chakra in dry air, but with so much raw material to work with he could keep it up for quite a while.

Ice particles formed rapidly in the air and condensed, gathering and encircling the supposed male ANBU. Haku placed a hand on the back of one of his mirrors and stepped in. His image was reflected in each and every mirror making it impossible to tell which one was real.

"Mist Hunter. This is none of your business." The ANBU spoke cautiously. Haku could imagine his eyes searching for an exit. The act was futile, his technique did have gaps, but there was impossible to reach them.

"Neither is it yours." Haku spoke in monotone and crossed his arms over his chest, each hand armed with senbon ready to throw.

"The blonde is a renegade of our village, and a thief."

Haku smiled sadly. _So am I. _He released the senbon quickly yet only one hit the ANBU. No matter. He had a perfect record with the his demonic ice mirrors, and he wasn't about to mar it.

Haku took advantage of the improved senses that the hunter nin mask gave and jumped three mirrors before attacking again. He didn't score any points this time. The man was good. Haku channeled more chakra to his mirrors and increased his speed.

* * *

Yuukou back flipped and spun away while sending a spiral of fire blasting toward the blonde demon. She had tagged him several times, and he was slowing, but the fact he wasn't dead was quickly making it's way on her private seven wonders of the world. The girl he was with proved to be next to useless. Either she was simply a horrible kunoichi, or she was too injured to be a threat.

One solid kick to the chest was all it had taken to put her out of the battle.

"Kyuu!" The demon yelled in anguish. It's big blue eyes were locked on her belt, from which hung the stuffed toy she had picked up. _Does it value this thing? _

The woman inhaled and mentally called out her chosen technique as the Uzamaki boy ran toward her. "Katon: Haisekisho!"

Super heated ash particles blew out of her mouth and covered the clearing. Yuukou stepped back and pulled a shuriken from her holster. "Shuriken Kage Bushin!" The shuriken suddenly doubled, then split again and again till some thirty shuriken flew into the cloud of deadly ash. The female ANBU moved to check her progress when a glint in front of her caused her to pause.

Another wire. She spun only to see the thought to be unconscious, possibly dead, girl grin with blood trailing out of her mouth. The girl's eyes burned with pain and madness as she flicked a small bell attached to the wire.

Yuukou collapsed to her knee's as her world shifted. There was a ringing in the air from the bell that made her feel as if someone was pounding her brains out. Yuukou clutched her stomach and puked. The jutsu was screwing with her senses, her balance, everything. For someone who had spent her life improving her senses for tracking purposes… she felt like she was dying.

_I've got to get her to stop._ Yuukou reached for a kunai, missed twice, but managed on the third try. She held the stuffed animal up, possibly her only chance for reprieve, and placed the kunai close to it. The action was pathetic, but she would worry about that later. The demon had shown some attachment to the doll and if still alive he might persuade the girl to cancel the jutsu briefly. _I'll only need a moment. Then I'll kill the bitch._

"Kyuu! Put Kyuu down!" The demon screamed with rage. Yuukou was seeing double, but she could make out a bad burn on his right arm. Her ash had been productive. Yuukou opened her mouth to retort, but only ended up dry heaving… and accidentally cutting into the doll as her body spasemed.

Naruto yelled in fury and came at her despite Kin's warning.

Yuukou felt her body seize up with fear as she looked down at the fox plush. It's glass eyes no longer looked glass, and they glowed with power. Small pieces of strange fluff flew from the cut in it's side and drifted past the mask into Yuukou's mouth. Her throat constricted and she fell backwards away from Naruto's wild punch.

Kyuu fell away as she coughed and gagged, her eyes bulging as she stumbled around. _You bitch._ A voice whispered with hate in her ear. _You cut me. YOU CUT ME! YOU WILL PAY!_

Yuukou didn't see the dark cloud until it was too late. With a final cough she managed to dislodge the strange substance that had clogged her throat, but the air she breathed in was filled with burning ash. The lingering jutsu seared her lungs and throat rendering her unable to scream.

Naruto quickly snatched his beloved fox plush the ground and held it close while whispering reassurances to the doll. "It's gonna be okay. I'm here now, Kyuu-chan." The boy glared in the direction the ANBU had gone, and smiled when he saw her vanish into the ash. His arm still stung, he knew she wouldn't be happy.

"Naruto-sama…" Kin coughed and slumped on the ground.

"Kin-chan, you aren't supposed to be doing anything." Naruto said, though he had been grateful for her help.

"I'm fine, but I think my ribs were knocked out of place, again. The other one's still fighting though…" She gestured to the strange dome like ice structure across the field.

Naruto nodded and moved. His mouth opened in surprise when he saw the two masked fighters within the ice prison. _That's the outfit Haku was wearing… Haku had senbon. The ANBU is fast, though. Haku's still young._

Naruto held his doll up and examined it while voicing a question. "Kyuu-chan. Who do you think will win?" He turned the stuffed fox on it's side and was unable to find the cut Miss ANBU had inflicted upon his precious gift.

Naruto received no answer from either the toy or his conscience. He looked at the ground while stroking the soft fabric of his toy. "Haku is my friend. I want Haku to be a friend. That would make Haku a precious person… and I'm going to protect my precious people however I can." An idea formed in Naruto's mind. He glanced back at the dispersing cloud of ash. The woman was dead. Burned. The trapped ANBU didn't know that. "Henge."

Rai couldn't help but turn as he heard his subordinate shout out in pain, screaming for help. He couldn't help but cry out in dismay and anger as he caught sight of her mutilated and burned form though the gaps in the ice.

He couldn't help but die as the freezing needles of death pierced all his vital points.

Shinobi couldn't afford distractions in a battle and Rai, former ANBU captain paid for it.

END.

A/N-The fight between ANBU, Haku, Naruto, and Kin was possibly the most annoying to write. Comes to a somewhat abrupt ending, but this chapter was annoying. Yes, they have cell phones, radio's, and telegrams. Yes, the doll was the one to actually kill off Yuukou though it was a series of unfortunate events. Naruto isn't stupid or forgetful, but because of his using Kyuubi's chakra and his ambivalent feeling's toward his 'conscience' Kyuubi has a lot more influence over his thought's than in canon Naruto. Kyuubi can also, in some cases, manifest it's chakra outside Naruto to a limited degree.

That's all I'm going to say for fear of giving too much away.

Oh, and I was wondering if you guys would like an OC character list? I know I've made a butt load of people for this AU though not all of them will play a major part.

I'm 2/3 done with my Senior Project (stupid shitty school) and once I've finished I'll be updating sooner. Chao.


	9. Team

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- The pursuing ANBU have been dealt with, and Naruto has been reunited with his beloved doll. Kin is starting to get annoyed by the constant attempts on her life and Haku is wondering how to explain everything to Zabuza-sama. Konoha continues to move on with life, returning to the everyday grind barely giving a thought to the missing demon container. On the border, a message is sent about a leg.**

**Chapter Nine: Team**

It was still early in the morning, and yet somehow Leslie found herself trudging through the streets of Takara searching for a bar. Not just any bar, however, a bar that stayed open twenty-four seven. The former prostitute rubbed her shoulder as she debated which direction to go. She was looking for a respectable mercenary that would accept her form of payment, which was turning out to be surprisingly difficult. _Oh, Naruto-sama, please guide your faithful servant!_

Two drinking buddies were stumbling down the street, having just exited a hotel that catered to one night stays, singing about fat bottoms and rocking worlds. They passed the redhead with a few catcalls before taking a few more swigs from their wrapped bottles and continuing along their way. The redhead watched them for a moment while considering her options, and saw someone bash them on the head with a wooden board and steal their money.

Mind made up, Leslie decided to go down the street that didn't have robbers hiding in the shadows. She purchased a dango from a stand and read the names of the drinking establishments wishing she had enough cash to buy several bottles of good liquor. She had been up late cleaning her modest home, recently purchased with all her savings, and was feeling it in her limbs.

Smiling at the irony of it all, Leslie walked into a bar dubiously named The Devil's Hideaway. The door creaked when she entered. Several heads looked to see who would enter so early and unsurprised by the well stacked woman they returned to their mugs. Leslie sniffed the air; it smelled horrid, like the patrons hadn't bathed in weeks. For all she knew, they didn't.

She also knew that these were the only kind of people that would even think of accepting her offer.

Leslie marshaled her emotions and scanned the room. She moved to the bar and ordered a shot of sake while using the back mirror to reapply some blush. It was early, and yet she had to look her best for her plan to work. _Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly._

"Thank you." Leslie sipped the drink, thankful that the rice wine was so incredibly cheap in the country where the main ingredient was its major export. They had plenty.

"How you doing, Miss?" The voice had a slur, but Leslie was fairly certain it was natural rather than from inebriation.

Leslie cracked her neck, a very unladylike action, and replied. "Perfectly fine." She then ignored him with the practiced ease of a woman that had been using and been used by men for years. There were some benefits of her profession, after all.

The woman sighed and rose to leave the establishment, convinced that what she was seeking could not be found, when she saw him. The man was in the back, partially hidden by shadows cast by a guttering lamp, but once the woman spied him he stood out like a wolf among sheep. Judging from his clothes that might have been exactly what he was.

Leslie smacked roaming hands away with her good one as she made her way to the table. "Good morning, sir." Prim and proper time.

He did not respond, and truthfully Leslie did not expect it the first time around.

Now that she was closer, Leslie could see that his clothing had several rips probably from battles. His katana reminded her of her angel and inspiration, which further cinched her decision. The man had obviously been sent to assist her; he just didn't know it yet. Leslie chewed on a finger cutely and inquired about his morning.

The man didn't move, but Leslie felt his gaze shift to her. After six bars, two gambling halls, and one bathhouse (she hadn't quite figured out what made her try that) she had finally found the man she needed. "I don't have anything you would want."

It was said in a tone that carried weariness, the voice of someone who had lost everything but the clothes on his back and fought simply to keep those. He was going through life, but it held no more purpose for him, about how Leslie was when she had been stuck in her rut working for Tsuki. That had nearly killed her but she survived and had a new purpose.

"Yes. Yes you do." Leslie gave him a soft smile. "Leslie Fujiko."

The man blinked and opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it quickly with a sigh. _Oh, they took his name, too? That's really bad... or does he just not want to give it? Doesn't matter for me, all I want are his skills. _"Ronin?" Her voice was a barely audible whisper, but by the way the man tensed she had been clearly heard. "That's fine with me, you'll find people around here aren't too concerned with samurai. They prefer their," she let dislike drip into her speech. "Ninjas."

"Ninja, honorless bastards." That was something the two of them could agree on, after the incident the other day when they came to her house Leslie found she didn't think as highly of them as she once had. Their seemingly super-human abilities were very cool, but their attitude left something to be desired. With a mutual dislike of shinobi as a grounding point the two people began to discuss other matters.

"What did you do, if you don't mind my asking?"

The samurai leaned back and actually examined the woman. Who was she to come barging into his misery and ask questions? What was she planning with those soft, luscious curves? His attention drifted to her bandaged wrist. Who would do such harm to a woman?

"I failed in my duty, that is all that matters." He sipped from his cup and his shoulders sagged. Leslie hummed and thought.

"But you are skilled, despite having failed, yes?"

It was like a dark cloud was hanging over the man. "No amount of skill could have helped..."

The red head motioned for another drink. "Well, I need someone who can at least _pretend_ to have skill. A guard, if you will." Here she subtlety drew attention to her damaged wrist. As far as the samurai would know she was just a beautiful woman in a bad town that needed protection. "Things have been getting worse here ever since the daimyo allowed that hidden village to be founded."

"You are asking for my services?" It came out in a dead pan. Apparently the man wasn't so down on his luck that his faculties had completely left him. He knew she was hiding something. _All the better to have a thinking man._

"Yes. You know your way around a sword, which is just what I need. Now I can't pay much... really just food and board... maybe a little extra..." the last was said in a whisper as she hinted at what a little extra entailed. The samurai looked as if he was seriously considering it before dismissing the thought.

"I'm afraid I must decline your offer. I might do a few odd jobs but I cannot-"

"Do you have a place to go? A home to return to?" She spat out the words with slight disbelief, but it was barely detectable.

The samurai paused. He had been planning, after his failure to his master and subsequent ousting, to simply travel from place to place until he died. Maybe learn a few new tricks, but mostly wander aimlessly. Who would really want a former in their entourage anyway? He had a few temporary escort jobs from those too poor to pay shinobi, but all in all he'd been left alone. Now there was a woman that was offering him a roof over his head... "Not anymore."

Leslie slammed her drink down and stood up. "I don't care about what you've done, or how many you killed or whatever! I need a man that can fight, that can get the job done and won't be sneaky about it! I need you samurai, and unless your status detracts from your skill I could care less. You won't be fired if another comes along with a better pedigree, I assure you."

Somewhat startled, the samurai stared at the woman. Slowly he pushed his chair back and stood up, heedless of the people watching them. He bowed to the woman that had hired him. "I accept your offer, Fujiko-san."

Leslie smiled and began heading towards the door as the samurai followed her. "What shall I call you?"

"Whatever pleases you, My Lady."

Walking past a table of poker players, Leslie only felt a slight breeze by her bottom before her thoughts were interrupted by a scream. Whirling, the woman greeted the sight of her samurai sheathing his katana as one of the poker players whimpered and clutched at his stump of an arm.

"He was going to molest you, Lady."

Leslie beamed. "Well then, good job... Samurai-san." It was the start of a legend, but they didn't know that.

* * *

Haku had a decent beside manner, but his fingers were ridiculously cold. Kin fought down a shiver as the ice user prodded at her bruises and applied more numbing salve to them. Most of her cuts had healed up (her arm was permanently scarred), but her ribs were still in the 'floating around' stage. It would be a while before they remained stationary long enough to fully heal.

"Naruto-kun, don't kill Usa-chan." Haku murmured as he leaned away from his patient and reached for fresh bandages.

Naruto stuck out his tongue and cuddled the white snow rabbit closer to his chest. "I'm not going to kill her." He then proceeded to stroke the captive rabbit's ears. It kicked half-heartedly, already growing used to the treatment, before going limp in the demon vessels arms.

Kin grunted as Haku tightened the bandages and tied them in place. "Now, I really must insist you don't go into battle, if you do those ribs will never set properly." The missing-nin smiled.

There was a grunt from the corner. Zabuza was sitting at the desk looking over the Scroll of Seals with interest, but he had made it no secret he thought Kin was a waste of space. After the fight with the ANBU Haku and Naruto had dragged her to the small cabin to heal. When Zabuza opened the door Kin nearly had a heart attack.

She recognized him from the Sound's bingo books as the Demon of the Bloody Mist, the civilian that wiped out an entire generation of shinobi hopefuls. The fact that he was a renegade ninja and boss of Haku didn't help to still her fears. The man took one look at her and scoffed. _"She may be a kunoichi, but she's a piss-poor one. Useless."_

Naruto on the other hand had something to offer the man, and after hearing that Kin and the blonde were connected he decided to spare her life. She was being largely ignored by the mercenary. Currently Zabuza was reading Naruto's scroll, as the boy didn't care who read it so long as they didn't carry it off. Zabuza was taking full advantage of that fact. "Haku, next time we're close to a town get some seal ink."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama."

"Boy, have you learned anything from this?" The gruff voice asked, and Kin found herself paying attention. Despite his obvious nonchalant attitude there were inflections in his speech that told the Sound trained shinobi much about his thoughts.

Naruto held the rabbit up by it's front paws and made it dance over to Kin's bed. "Yeah. I'm good with the Shadow Clone. The rest of the shadow stuff I don't like, and that's as far as I've read. Up! Up! Usa-chan!"

Not needing to be told twice, the rabbit slipped from the boys grip and leapt up to the bed and into the safety of Kin's arms. The girl rubbed the animals head and worried. The swordsman sounded excited, almost like a kid in a candy store.

"How many can you make?"

"What? Shadow Clones? I dunno, I never count them, it's too much trouble... but I've never been unable to make more!" Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Is that good?"

Zabuza let out a deep laugh and rolled up the scroll. "That's great. You must have more chakra than me... great. Haku, where did you find this kid?"

"While gathering herbs. As I understand it Hunter-nin from Konoha were after him."

The man propped his chin in his hand. Naruto wondered how he could talk without his voice being muffled by the bandages, which led him to wonder why the man wore them in the first place. It was several seconds before his mind caught up with the question and formulated an answer. Annoyance tinged his words. "I'm not a ninja."

Even Haku was surprised by that statement. Zabuza cracked his neck. "What do you mean?"

"I failed the genin test...four times. Then I left with the scroll."

Zabuza leaned back as he recalled what the genin test had once been for Kiri. It had been a silly technicality that denied him entrance into the academy, but after surpassing all their students they had been forced to allow him into their ranks. Perhaps some similar bias had been working against the kid. "That must have been a difficult test. Who did you have to fight?"

Naruto shook his head in agitation. "No one. I had to make three bushin."

"Three? I thought you said you had no trouble making those?" _Something's up with this kid._ The missing-nin closed his eyes momentarily and focused on sensing chakra. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but when he actively looked for it the blonde brat was like an explosive tag set to go off.

"No. I can make _Kage Bushin _just fine." Naruto stood and walked over to his fox plush. "I just can't do _bushin._ For some reason they turn out all dead or deformed."

Zabuza went out of his chakra-sensing mode with a new appreciation for the small boy. He was no expert in chakra manipulation or types, but he was an assassin by trade and had learned the tricks of being the best. One was the ability to locate your target at night, or in dense fog. Sensing differences in chakra was difficult, but like how a seasoned shinobi could fight an opponent and estimate their capacity Zabuza could sense each person's individual signature.

Naruto's happened to be a scary thing, because it was far from normal. _It's no wonder the kid couldn't make a simple clone, his chakra isn't near stable enough for such a weak jutsu. His chakra practically moves by itself!_

The large shinobi watched the blonde child as he played with his toy, grinning beneath the layers of bandages. He was innocent, almost like Haku. He was also a freakish powerhouse, and the missing-nin was fairly certain it had to do with a bloodline. It wasn't like the average ninja showed up with chakra that had a mind of its own.

_Heh. Two bloodline carriers under my command. With a little training... _

Zabuza shut down that line of thought and turned back to the scroll. He would consider his vengeance later, first he had a mission to do. _Shadow clone, uses more chakra than my water one, but it does have some advantages. Self-awareness, better to adapt to a given situation, can even eat and interact with others. Oh? Original purpose was to get out of doing paperwork? Heh. Can't believe they didn't even bother to code this thing..._

* * *

"Well, why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time?" A silver haired jounin asked amiably. Saukra glanced at her teammates, and felt her eyebrow twitch. While she was happy -ecstatic even- that she had been put in a group with Sasuke she felt slightly out of her depth. Their new sensei was smiling with his one visible eye crinkled from the force of it.

Her other teammate, a boy with freakishly pale skin and dark smooth hair returned the smile. It was the exact same facial expression, only it held no warmth in it. Sakura laughed uneasily. "Um. What are we supposed to say?"

The jounin shrugged. "Things you like. Things you hate. Dreams for the future, hobbies. Things like that."

The pink haired kunoichi wanna-be nodded. She glanced at Sasuke fully expecting her crush to take the initiative as he had always done in class. When the Uchiha failed to move she switched her attention to the new boy. He hadn't changed, and she certainly didn't want to start. "Why don't you tell us stuff first, sensei, so we can see how it's supposed to work?"

The man pointed to himself lazily and rested against the rail lining the roof. "I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... hadn't really thought about it. As for my hobbies? I have lots of hobbies."

_All we learned was his name! _The sole female of the group sighed and risked a peek at her teammates. Why were they not reacting to this man? He was infuriating! Then again... Sasuke's coolness was what attracted her in the first place. His ability to remain level headed and aloof was second to none in their class, the prime example of a ninja. Her light green eyes shifted to the paler boy. Sai's face was a mask of pleasant indifference, and the blade handle poking over his shoulder added a certain mystery about him that Sakura found herself drawn to. _No! My love only belongs to Sasuke! Sasuke!_

Kakashi, despite his lazy attitude, began to grow impatient with his new team. "Alright. Girl. You go first."

_He probably picked me because I'm the only one that's talked this whole time. Damnit!_ She smiled, easily concealing the feelings her 'inner voice' expressed. "I'm Sakura Haruno! I like," her cheeks mimicked her hair. "My hobby is, ah," a giggle. "My dream is to marry a strong man..." Sakura squealed as her hands came up to cover her face as her whole face went red from embarrassment. _Damnit! What if Sasuke thinks I'm weird now! Stupid Sensei! I hate him!_

Unaware of the pink haired genin's newfound ire for him, Kakashi rolled his eye over to her while wondering what happened to the quality of kunoichi. _I guess girls her age are more concerned with boys than training. Shame. _"And what do you hate?"

In a different time and place, in another universe, Sakura Haruno would respond to this question with the first thing that came to mind. That thing was a certain blonde, blue eyed demon container. In this universe, Sakura hadn't seen the usual suspect of her anger for several days and as such had not thought about him. She was an out-of-sight-out-of-mind girl. In a sudden fit of ripe annoyance Id (inner) Sakura launched to the forefront and delivered an answer with absolute sincerity before the Ego (outer) could restrain it. "You."

The jounin blinked and scratched the back of his worriedly. Not for himself, he could take down the greenhorn in a split second, but more for her sanity. After watching her emotions fly from calm genin to lovesick fan-girl to murderous wench in two minutes he supposed something was up. If he wasn't confident the three would fail his genin test like every other group he had he might of suggested she go in for psychological testing. As it was Kakashi was known for several things, among them unparallel laziness. "You next."

Sasuke didn't even look up to address the silver haired man. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and obliterate a certain someone."

Sakura's mouth popped open in mild shock at the statement. When had Sasuke gotten so bloodthirsty? _I hope he wasn't talking about me. Then again... that's kind of hot. Sasuke you're so cool!_

Kakashi appeared unmoved by the statement. _As expected._

The new boy smiled at Sasuke, and for a moment Sakura's mind held a flash of insight. She could see all three males standing together, each with a story behind them that had some significance. Sasuke and the new boy were the same. She should-!

Sakura shook her as the pale kid began talking after being prompted, and lost whatever life altering idea had come from her mind.

"I am called Sai. I do not like anything, but nor do I hate anything. My hobby is drawing. I have no dreams or ambitions."

_Wow. He's... sexy._ Sakura's eyes trailed down the speakers chest to his exposed abs. _I wonder what Sasuke would look like in that._

Their sensei clapped his hands. "Good. You're each unique and you have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow." He pushed himself off the railing and turned to leave.

Sakura stood. "Um. Kaka-sensei, what kind of mission are we going to have?" Sakura put her hands behind her back in an effort to conceal her nervous twitching. To her mind it was a little soon for them to be going out on missions, and he should have to decency to tell them what to bring!

"It's a mission that the four of us will perform together. Survival training."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The man was starting to get on his nerves too. "We already did that in the academy."

"This is not like your previous training." Kakashi laughed. He could see the team was destined for failure. Sai might realize what was going on, as well as Sakura, but the Uchiha would drag them down. He didn't think he needed help. "Of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will actually be accepted as genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this is a pass-or-fail test and the chance that you'll fail is at least sixty-six percent. Be at the designated training zone at 6 a.m. And bring your shinobi gear." He brought his hands together in to form a sign, "Oh. and don't eat breakfast or you'll puke."

Sasuke fought down rage, his hands shaking. Sakura watched the jounin vanish in a swirl of leaves while wrestling with her own anger. Sai remained passive and stood to leave. "I shall see you two, in the morning? Sasuke-san. Sakura-san."

The pink haired girl glanced up blushing. "Yeah. Sure. Good luck, Sai-san."

Sasuke grunted still staring at the point where their sensei had vanished from. Sakura brought her hands up to her chin and glanced from Sai's departure point to Sasuke. Should she stay with her true love, or go home?

"Sakura."

He spoke to her! She smiled coyly. There was always the chance that he had been waiting for them to be alone. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"I hate that man."

Sakura paused and sat down next to the Uchiha, following his gaze. He didn't appear to be shuffling away from her. _True love found in mutual hate! Alright!_ She pulled her legs to her chest and thought. "If we can't eat breakfast, we'll have to eat a big dinner."

Sasuke grunted. The two of them sat in silent contemplation trying to puzzle out what survival training entailed.

* * *

Sai left his new team at a leisurely pace, though once he was out of ear-shot he nodded toward a masked shinobi. The posture told him who it was, a fellow Root member. The masked man made several hand motions. _Leader expects your presence._

Sai's crossed fingers made a circular motion. _Understood._ After all, they were in the open and one could never be certain who was listening in. Sai quickly took to the shadows and ghosted beside the masked ninja. They were nothing more than a pair of dark spots traveling across rooftops. At the Hokage tower the nameless Root member broke off and while Sai entered the building and headed down to the lower levels.

"They call you Sai now. A good name for a weapon such as yourself."

Sai turned his false smile on the old man who had spoken. An eye patch and multiple scars marked him as a veteran of countless ninja battles. "Danzo-sama."

"Don't give me that fake grin."

"I apologize, Danzo-sama. I try, but I'm afraid my efforts result in sub-standard quality. I'm not sure why." The pale boy's face went slack while his voice became near monotone from lack of emotion.

The old man raised a hand and waved off the matter. He walked out into the room. "That does not matter. Your placement can be of some benefit to Ne. The last Uchiha... I do not need to impress on you the importance of that line to Konoha. Who is the sensei?"

"Kakashi Hatake."

The old man rubbed his chin smirking. "Interesting. This is good news. Sarutobi thinks this will hamper me... he thinks he can out maneuver me. Not likely. Sai! You will remain on Team Seven, you will watch the Uchiha and see that the sharingan is not lost to us. In fact... encourage it's spread. There is a kunoichi on the team, correct?"

"Correct."

"Perfect. Now listen, Kakashi has a reputation for testing on teamwork. You'll have to get them to help each other and take down the Copy nin together..."

* * *

The short paper was a welcome excuse for a trip. Kotaro folded the message and slipped it into his robes with a flourish. "Well, well, well. Kurumi dear! Get the bags!" The old puppet maker cheered as he practically danced down the stairs.

His apprentice let out a squeak as the man took her hands and began waltzing around the room. "K-Kotaro-san! What's going on?"

"Vacation my dear! Vacation!" He raised his arm and spun her around before sending the slight girl into a stuffed sofa. Kotaro pulled his pipe from a pouch in his sleeve and lit it. "I'll be out of this blasted desert and in a forest. Konoha! Village hidden in the leaves, should have been called village hidden in the hot springs."

Kurumi straightened her light blue robes and tried to catch her breath. She was not used to dancing over furniture. She never had any form of shinobi training, unlike her master who had been considered for genin before quitting the academy in favor of work in the puppet arts. "We are going to a hot springs?"

Kotaro held a hand to his heart. He just knew the girl would be disappointed with his next statement. "Ah. So sorry Kurumi dear. You can't come."

Her lip quivered. "W-why not K-Kotaro-san? D-Did I do something wrong?"

_Maybe I should stop accepting them based on cuteness. She's been talking to Haruhi, learning about my weakness. Hah! Clever girls._ The sofa sagged slightly as the man sat next to the girl. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "Now, now Kurumi dear. It was nothing you did. It simply isn't possible to make a get-away with you, someone needs to cover for me."

Kurumi looked at her knees with a pout. "What do you mean? Why would someone need to cover for you? It's a legitimate business thing, right?"

"Well yes. But you know how picky and annoying bureaucracy can be. With the recent, ah, tensions between Sand and the Leaf it'll take a week for me to get the papers to get out of the country! There's some poor slob that needs my help!" Kotaro finished his speech with shining eyes.

_You just don't like the sand. _The young girl took his word with a grain of salt, but quickly realized there was no dissuading her master. "How am I supposed to cover for you?"

The old man rubbed his hands together and grinned. "We ARE puppetmakers. I've designed the perfect disguise for you. If anyone enters the shop you can take their orders and use a little puppet I've set up to act as me."

"...Kotaro-san, I don't know puppetry!"

"Nonsense! Of course you do, just keep the lighting dim and no one will realize you're using real wires instead of chakra strings. Now, let us go pack. I'll think I'll take the models 23 and 44 legs. And some arms.." he glanced at the slip of paper before stuffing it back in his robe. "or not. A couple hands just in case though. Save space. Kurumi-dear! The bags!"

She jumped off the couch and rushed to the assembly room. "I'm on it, Kotaro-san."

* * *

"Haku, you'll pose as a woman while I henge into... yes?" Zabuza asked with quiet hostility. He had been explaining the plan to his protégé, when said boy raised his hand in question. It was a strange and seldom seen occurrence. Haku was a genius ninja though most of that could have been because of his bloodline. Zabuza was a master or sneak attacks and planning.

Completely at ease with the situation, Haku gestured to Naruto who had thus far been excluded from the briefing and was content to pet his stuffed fox occasionally glancing at the Scroll of Seals. "I believe that Naruto-kun will make a much better woman than I." Zabuza wondered if the earlier ANBU battle had knocked a few screws loose in the effeminate boy's mind. "Hear me out Zabuza-sama. While I posses natural traits that allow me to resemble a female... Naruto has a technique that can withstand any scrutiny. Naruto-kun?"

The blonde looked up, but judging from the oblivious grin on his face he had not been paying the slightest attention to the two seasoned shinobi's discussion. "Yeah?"

Haku stifled a chuckle. After the dreary, I-want-to-kill-everything attitude of the demon brothers and the constant damn-why-won't-mizukage-leave-me-the-fuck-alone grumblings of his master Naruto's I-want-to-hey-look-a-butterfly hyperness was a welcome change. "Would you please demonstrate the technique you used to comfort Kin in the woods?"

That little statement caused Zabuza to sneer beneath his mask. Further proof the girl was useless.

Naruto stared with wide eyes at Haku. For the moment all thoughts of Kyuu, learning new jutsu, the strange messages of his conscience, and ramen flew from his head. Haku wanted to see the Sexy no Jutsu, his sole original technique. His mouth opened to form a little 'oh'.

No one in the history of it's invention had asked to see it. Once used, men would yell at him for using such a dirty trick and forbid it. Women would gasp then quickly recover their wits as they pummeled him into the ground. These reactions had confused Naruto for a long time as Sexy no Jutsu was a great tactic in battle. How many people would, even if only for a split second, pause in shock/surprise as a well built naked woman appeared on the field?

Tears gathered in Naruto's eyes. Any misgivings he felt about Haku's friend disappeared as he realized the jounin was waiting expectantly. "Y-You really want to see it?!"

Haku smiled and nodded.

"Alright! Here goes!" Naruto jumped up and brought his hands together. "SEXY NO JUTSU!" Red hot chakra wormed it's way through his system and his body became like play-doh as it morphed. Breasts grew larger and round, average lips became full. His hair lengthened while a bit of chakra morphed into hair ties to hold it back.

As everything happened in less than a second behind a wall of white cloud, neither missing-nin found the thing disgusting or strange.

Zabuza gave a wolf whistle to the cloud concealed naked woman. The kid deserved it to be able to mimic the female form that well at his age. "Looks nice. I'll grant you that, but some of the guards have experience with shinobi. They'll see the discrepancies in the illusion soon enough and make things harder. No, Haku can take the position."

Naruto crossed her arms beneath her breasts, which incidentally lifted them dangerously close to the top of the cloud cover. "Excuuuse me? My Sexy technique is unbeatable! No stupid guard will see through it! It can't be seen through!"

_Perhaps he failed his genin test because he was truly stupid?_ "Listen brat, it's only an illusion and unless-"

"IT'S NOT AN ILLUSION!!"

"...care to repeat that?"

Naruto marched over to the large man with anger in her eyes. Sexy technique was her pride and joy, and she would not let anyone call it a mere 'illusion'. _Illusion my ass!_ With that thought Naruto took Zabuza's hand, a move any other ninja would have recognized as suicidal, and placed it against her bottom.

As Kin watched the scene unfold in muted horror form her bed, two things happened. The feared demon of the bloody mist visibly blushed and giggled as his hands roamed over the ample curves of Naruto lingering on her breasts. Naruto herself stared defiantly at the man daring him to find a fault in the technique, not even considering that the man's actions easily crossed the boundary into molestation.

Zabuza's brilliant mind finally threw off the effects of SNFS (sudden naked female syndrome) and came to a several conclusions. "I'm convinced. Naruto, you will take Haku's place and Haku, you will hang back and take out anyone that manages to sneak past us. This is some bloodline you got here, brat. Practically ensures that it's carried on. Probably comes with a higher healing rate too."

"Bloodline?"

The two other black haired ninja's in the room leaned over to listen in. "Bloodline. Has to be. It would be physically impossible any other way."

Confused, female Naruto stepped back. "What do you mean?"

Haku stepped in and gave Naruto a pat on the arm thinking that the boy turned girl may be afraid of kekkai genkai prejudice. "Even a normal shinobi can't change that much. We make illusions to look different, but to change a body that drastically that quick would put too much stress on it and... self destruct. You are very special Naruto-kun."

Zabuza grabbed his sword. He could have gone into deeper detail, but both nin instinctively knew anything more would shot far over the blondes head. "Change into the pink kimono. Make sure it's off the shoulder, and pretend to be a little drunk. We don't want them to suspect anything until after we start killing."

* * *

Kyuubi laughed. The sound shifted from high pitched yips to deep booming bellows. It just couldn't stop. The whole situation just kept getting better and better for the imprisoned demon fox. "Oh that's rich! I thought he might have tried to jump the boy there for a second but... bloodline ability! Hah! My work's practically taking care of itself... Ahahaha!"

As the demon fox continued to beat a paw against the floor in a fit of laughter, a thin paper-seeming seal cracked.

* * *

Naruto leaned against Zabuza as the two of them walked toward the wherehouse. It felt weird holding the older man's arm. There was a tingle where they touched from the henge Zabuza was under, and if Naruto didn't match her pace just right the overlap would become obvious. _It normally takes lots of team training to match another so well. I guess that means I'm a natural... girl? Ew!_

"Oi, Shinji-sama! You finally decide to drop the ice-bitch?" One of the guards called with a lazy smile. He made no attempt to hide his ogling of Naruto, and the blonde couldn't blame him. She was dead sexy.

"Not quite. I was hoping Sakura-chan here could teach the bitch a thing or two." Zabuza replied easily, his voice pitched higher than usual. The guards nodded and allowed them in. Naruto jumped when one reached for her backside. _Haku's gonna kill him. Heh._ "Sakura."

"I'm fine, Shinji-kun!" Naruto flashed a smile at a low-class thug watching them. Under the guise of adjusting her robe, the shoulder had fallen far too low for modesty, Naruto scattered a few pebbles along the hallway. It would have been better if she could progress to making shadow clones without hand seals but since she couldn't several clones had transformed into small decorative rocks and sat waiting in her purse.

Zabuza had already created some twenty water clones in the time they had entered the building. Wearing the face of yesterday's kill, the assassin groaned. "Damn hangover. You got any painkiller in that bag, Sakura-chan?"

It was kinda fun for the demon container. She didn't think the serious Zabuza would be so good at acting. The blonde pulled open the drawstrings and appeared to shuffle through it as they approached the center of the complex and their goal.

"Ne! Shinji-sama, your father wants a word with you." A thug that had obviously seen some heavy action commented, his one eye roving over the couple.

Naruto stuck her tongue out at the man. "Oh poo! I called Shinji-kun first!"

"Now, dear."

That was the signal. Instead of using the agreed upon name of Sakura-chan he called her dear. Naruto released her hold on Zabuza's arm and tipped forward, her purse falling open. "My bag!"

At Naruto's outburst the thug turned, and Zabuza impaled the man on his sword. Blue and orange marbles rolled along the floor and turned into male and female Narutos that jumped up and ran to scour the building.

* * *

Red eyes watched as Hinata moved back and forth across the river in a complicated dance. Every once in a while a splash of deadly blue chakra could be seen leaving her hands; it was an exercise in both control and strength. The Hyuuga shifted the output in her body from her feet and cart wheeled across the water.

"It's kinda weird, sensei."

"How so?" Kurenai asked Kiba as they watched their teammate go through her chakra control routine. The genjutsu mistress had them all start with water-walking as the survival test. They had to all be able to do it decently by the end of the day. Including Akamaru.

Kiba scratched his nose. "Well, I knew Hinata back in the academy, and she was always quiet. Real introvert, ya know? Now... well she's still quiet but she's kinda dead. I remember she used to blush a lot and really freak out if anyone tried to start a conversation with her. I liked her because she wasn't always hanging off of Sasuke."

Kurenai hummed and her eyes flicked to the side where Shino had emerged from the brush, a butterfly perched on a finger. He took his seat on the other side of Kurenai away from Kiba, the dog user had yet to get used to the constant buzzing of the other boy's hive, and turned his attention to the dancing girl on the river.

The woman closed her eyes. She would not normally share private information about another Konoha shinobi, but they were her teammates. "It's good of you to worry about a teammate, Kiba, but I doubt there's anything you can do. I don't want to go into details as it's really Hinata's place to tell, but I did visit with her father yesterday." Kiba nodded, his mother had gotten a visit from her as well. It was a little odd coming home to see the two lead females in his life sharing a drink, but it had made sense. Kurenai felt that she should as least meet with the parents of the genin she was commanding. "From what I observed, they do not have a... pleasant... relationship. The Hyuuga is not a loving, happy, or supporting family." She flashed Kiba a smile. "But you've known her longer, so maybe you can find a way to help."

Kiba shook the melancholy air off and grinned back at his sensei. "I guess. She's really good at that, huh?"

Shino's voice was a near monotone, with a light background buzz. It still freaked Kiba out but he was getting used to it. "The Hyuuga fighting style requires extreme precision and control, Hinata was the best of us at water walking for a reason."

"Well, yeah. But look at that. I could have sworn I saw some of the water pick up just now."

"Perhaps her element is water."

That gave Kurenai an idea. "Well why don't we find out? Hinata! Come in!"

The short haired girl tumbled out of a flip and dropped onto the water, crouching. "Coming sensei!" She ran along the water, her sandals dipping into the current. Her reserves were running low after the exercise, and the loss of perfect control showed it.

Kurenai stood and examined her students. Shino was offering the butterfly to Hinata, who blushed momentarily like her old self and stammered a thank you as the orange monarch walked over to her hands. Kiba watched the exchanged with a jealous eye. He was a good kid, but he simply didn't know how to deal with distraught women. Shino on the other hand... well. If it weren't for the stigma of being an Aburame she was certain he would be a lady killer.

"Alright. This is a little early, but as you all have good control I've decided that you three are going to get tested for affinities."

Hinata glanced up from the insect. It's proboscis was tickling her fingers as it lapped at her sweat. "Affinities?"

"Yes." The raven haired teacher entered lecture mode. "Some, not all, shinobi have a certain affinity for an element. As you know there are five chakra bases that are mixed in different amounts to perform different jutsu. We are going to test to see if any of you have one."

Kiba grinned as Akamaru climbed on top of his head. "We can take anything you throw at us, sensei!"

"I'm not going to be throwing anything at you. It's a simple test. There are special slips of paper that when you channel chakra into them they tell you what your element is. Tomorrow meet at training field 34, they'll be waiting for you at the end of an obstacle course. Dismissed!"

The three students bowed and headed off to their respective homes though there was a definite drag in the girl's step. Having taken what his teacher said to heart, Kiba paused. "Eh. Hinata."

"Yes, Kiba-kun?"

"Would you, like to come over for dinner?" Akamaru barked something at him, and the Inuzuka turned red for a minute before muttering something back and turning to Shino who had gotten some distance. "Oi! You're invited too, Shino!"

The Aburame stopped. "Accepted."

Hinata rested her hand on her shoulder and let the colorful insect climb onto it so her hands would be free. She didn't want to go home. There she would be ridiculed for trying to do the impossible, improve, or be ignored. "I would like that, Kiba-kun." Maybe she could convince them to spar with her after dinner?

As the three walked off Kurenai smiled to herself. _Now that's how a team is supposed to act!_

* * *

The rough, hastily scribbled words on the report gave Ibiki a headache. All the usual signs of false tales had been undetectable and if Umino's description was true the interrogator couldn't blame Kyo. With his pupils stretched the max, constantly, it was hard to tell if there had been any dilation. Hyped up on relaxation drugs the ninja wouldn't increase blood pressure either.

Then there were the drugs themselves to consider. He would have to find a way to wrangle the chunin's medical report out of the nurses. If he knew just what they were pumping into his suspect he may be able to figure out what reactions could be considered true or drug induced. _I hate tradition._

He shuffled to the next page, noting with bemusement that the handwriting had suddenly become much clearer when dealing with conversation. _Guy uses the kids name, not 'demon brat', 'boy', or 'my student'. Makes the issue personal. If that's the case he could just be delusional. He might actually believe everything he says is true, even if it's not. Denial. Damn. I hate dealing with head cases._

Ibiki leaned back and pulled a flask from his pocket. As old and as scarred as he was, people tended to overlook some of his more paranoid habits. After all, the shinobi of old were a bunch of sneaky bastards and he wouldn't put it past a traditionalist to try poisoning first. He took a sip from the flask and replaced it while his eyes continued to scan the dialogue and footnotes. _Guy gets annoyed when you try to contradict him. He probably was aware of the true purpose behind this whole thing. Clever. If he turns out clean he'd make a good recruit and those eyes of his will be a plus to intimidation. _

_He keeps trying to implicate this 'Mizuki' character. I recall a Mizuki, light blue hair, I think. Odd one. Hmm._ Ibiki pressed down on the intercom and after a beep his door opened to admit a woman in a skin tight body suit and boots. One of his lesser known jounin, torture division. She was also rather good at gathering intel when in civilian garb. "Onna, find out about this Mizuki. Who he hung out with, what were his habits, especially his mission files." _Now I remember. Little bastard had one of the most questionable records before becoming a teacher. _"Oh, and see if you can search the house of Umino Iruka, but leave it intact. I want to see if he left any plans about the scroll incident."

The woman saluted, brushing her hair back with the action to revel a small scar. Ibiki nodded and she turned abruptly, vanishing into the shadows. Onna was a woman who said very little unless assignment required it. She had a frosty attitude completely at odds with her old self.

_Hn. Old self. Hard to believe after a senbon to the frontal lobe she'd go from bubbly inexperienced genin to cold hearted killer. Ah well. Less work for me!_

* * *

It looked like a war zone and truthfully it was. The sound jounin leapt from his perch on a tree branch to examine the area. He gave an appreciative whistle toward one of the bodies as it was half dissolved. One of his favorites was the boy with the straw cloak. He had a wound that turned black as the skin around it had bubbled and dissolved. "I wonder what kind of jutsu does that."

"Looks like acid, maybe Mist? Acid is watery." The first man was joined by a second and third. The two newcomers explored the devastated area with a cynical eye. One prodded a blood covered chest with his foot.

"This one's missing a heart. Whoever did it was brutal."

"So, ah, how do we write this up?" The first man asked as he produced a small notepad from his ninja pouch. He tapped the top of the pen and made a few marks. "Complete and utter failure?"

"Well, they are all dead. What else can you call it?"

One of the Jounin shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "They were just genin, cannon fodder. Orochimaru-sama won't care at this point... though some of these wounds do look interesting. Get some chunin out here to retrieve the bodies."

The note was made, and the sound ninja ripped the sheet out and crumpled it in his fingers. A burst of chakra and the paper was gone and in it's place was a grey colored clay ball. "They'll be out here shortly." Kawarimi on a small scale was extremely useful, the only problem was the smaller the target the greater control required.

"Wait a sec." The third man paused and began counting the corpses. "We're missing one. There was a girl, Kin. Her body hasn't been found yet."

"So? She could have been buried with an earth technique, or burned to a crisp."

"What if she's alive?"

The ninja with the notepad answered somewhat bored. At this point all he cared about was returning to base and getting some much deserved rest. He'd spent all night and the majority of the day looking for their wayward students corpses. It had not been fun. "If the girl somehow survived," his arm swept to take in the clearing. "and she comes back she'll get promoted. Genin, possibly chunin if this was her work. If she doesn't why do we care? It's not like she's one of the experiments. No special implants or training schedule. Nah. We'll just write this up as mutual annihilation."

The last one opened his mouth to protest, but he just sighed and adjusted his forehead protector. "Whatever. If that's all, I'm outta here."

"Me too."

"See ya."

* * *

"Babysitting." Ino deadpanned.

Asuma exhaled a long stream of smoke and rubbed his forehead. "Don't think of it as babysitting. Think of it as guarding, protecting a high class dignitary."

The young genin crossed her arms and shot her sensei a look that told him exactly what she thought of that. "Babysitting."

Next to her Chouji opened a new bag of potato chips and offered some to his best friend. The shadow manipulator took a few, they were barbecue flavored, and sat down on the bench to wait out the argument. Ino was rather good at it, if only because there was no way to fight her feminine logic. She put up road blocks and derailed any attempt at coercion with cold eyes and a stubborn will.

Frankly, she would make a good intelligence agent the Nara privately thought. They were starting to gather a crowd in the street which was quickly putting more pressure on Asuma. He didn't want to suffer the teasing that would come from the other jounin if it was discovered he had been arguing with his students in the middle of the village.

"It's the Hokage's grandson. Come on, his normal babysitter," point to Ino! "got roped into taking a mission. He won't be back till tomorrow and someone needs to make sure the kid doesn't kill himself."

The purple clad girl held her ground. "We shouldn't be doing anymore missions! Why don't you train us! I'm sick of babysitting and gardening! If I wanted to do those kind of things I would never have signed up at the academy!"

Asuma groaned. He had to end this fast! He had passed the Ino-Shika-Chou trio because he had hoped that the outlook of their parents had passed to them. Great teamwork coupled with laid back attitudes, what every lazy jounin instructor hoped for. Shikamaru and Chouji fit the bill but their female comrade apparently had some drive that would not be tempered. "I will teach you spying techniques!"

A delicate golden eyebrow rose. "Oh? We'll actually learn something new?"

Asuma nodded and motioned for his team to move. _Kurenai's gonna give me so much shit about this. _"I was once a guard to the Daimayo of Fire you know, I know quite a few tricks of the trade. I'll tell you and you can practice with Konohamaru."

Ino grinned, her eyes flashing toward her two teammates. They stood up and Shikamaru snorted. _Mission success._

The Ino-Shika-Chou trio was about to go from being famous to infamous. Their teamwork was spot on, but their goals were not. Asuma sucked in another lungful of smoke and leapt to the roofs intending to get away from the crowd. His students followed him with minor difficulty.

"Shikamaru, you sure you want to do this?" Chouji asked, at a loss as to why his buddy would want to take the mission. It had taken some work to manipulate the scrolls so that they would be elected for the mission, and the Nara clan was famous for laziness.

"Yeah. Think about it. Ino gets the information she wants, and we can lock the brat in a room and take a break. Everyone's happy."

"Actually, Shikamaru, if what Asuma-sensei has hinted at means anything the technique's he'll me teaching us means we can't lock the kid up." Ino snickered.

Unbothered the Nara just shrugged. "We can take shifts then. I take it to be stealth techniques?"

She nodded with a smile. "Stealth, as well as some jutsu that can be tied to the targets clothing to listen in. The only problem is it has limited range."

"That might actually be worth it."

Chouji smiled, happy that his friend and teammate where getting along. Perhaps the girl would want to be his friend too? "Hey, Ino, would you like a chip?"

The girl blinked as they arrived at the building where they would be picking up their charge for the evening. "I'm on a diet..." at Chouji's shocked look she suddenly found herself uncomfortable.

"You don't need a diet! You look good, and it's bad for a shinobi not to eat! Unhealthy."

"Chouji's got a point."

Ino looked back and forth at the two boys. _Well I do want to be a great kunoichi. Better than Sakura, and she's on a diet too. _"I guess."

Asuma followed the small boy with the scarf out of the building, an ominous feeling settling in. All three of his students were eating chips. The Hokage's grandson pointed at them, angry. "What! You're not awesome ninja's! You're pigs!"

Ino crumpled her bag in her hands, a light killing intent radiating off of her. "What-did-you-call-us?!"

As the girl began to beat the kid they were supposed to be looking after, Chouji couldn't help but think: _Us. I guess that means we're friends now. _

Asuma held his head in his hands. "Ino! If you punch him anymore his nose will break!"

* * *

Kin braced her side with a hand as she walked toward the building. They should have returned to the cabin earlier, but hadn't. She grew worried. Would the missing-nin convince her Naruto-sama to leave without her? The recovering kunoichi bit her lip as she did not take her promises lightly and would follow her master until her doom. Even if he was a little crazy.

She stepped over a senbon pricked body and entered the building, the scent of fresh blood filling her nose. Blood spotted the walls as if something had come through the pinned bodies to them with knives. Every now and then a pool of blood with gore floating in it could be seen a shadowed corner.

Kin had to be careful not to step in glass from where a light bulb had been put out. She rubbed the handle of a kunai to sooth her nerves and directed a small portion of chakra away from her ribs to her ears.

"Somewhere... over there." The sound specialist followed a blood trail easily to the back of the building. Bodies of the dead had been dragged to one room and searched before being tossed onto a pile. _No respect for the dead._

"Kin-chan." Naruto looked up from his purloining of the dead man's purse. Zabuza was glaring at a large safe and Haku was standing off to the side. "You're supposed to be in bed!"

"I'm sorry Naruto-sama. I grew worried when you didn't return at the agreed upon time." She looked down and calmed her heart. Haku just watched her with a small knowing smile.

"Oh. Well, we did kill everyone, but then we found that." Naruto pointed at the source of Zabuza's ire. The massive door was nearly a foot thick and made of hard steel. Apparently their goal had been shoved in the safe while they slaughtered the underlings and Zabuza couldn't simply cut open the safe. Doing so would require a lot of chakra to enhance his blade, and could also endanger whatever else was in there.

Kin inched forward but kept her distance from this disgruntled Mist ninja. "I recognize this build... my old hometown had one in the bank. Combination lock..."

Zabuza's eyes gained a cool gleam. "Can you open it?"

"I think... it's got a randomizer key... so it changes every time..." Seeing she wasn't going to get out of it, and Zabuza's somewhat threatening grip on his sword, Kin got on her knee's and ignored the blood getting on her legs.

Her fingers lightly gripped the knob as she pressed her ear to the door. Slowly, she began to spin it. "Nobody breathe."

0..58...43...35...click.

Kin licked her lips and shifted. 35...37...48...52...click.

One left. If she messed up the lock would begin the randomizing sequence and timer. There was no way she would be able to outwit that, or find the key. 52...49...45...40...34...30...29...28...26...click!

Kin scrambled backward as the door released and popped out. "Well look at that. I guess you aren't totally useless after all, girl."

"Yay!" Naruto ran over and lifted Kin by the arm. "Hey, you didn't tell me you could pick locks!"

"It's not really lock picking... and I hadn't tried before."

Haku walked forward and placed a hand on Kin's shoulder while smiling. "Welcome to the team, Kin-chan."

A loud sobbing hit their ears as Haku entered the safe and left with a bruised woman. Her brown hair was a mess and one of her eyes was swollen shut. She clutched the ice users clothing and cried hysterically. "Shh. It's alright, miss. You're father sent us."

"F-father?"

Naruto watched Haku rub the woman's back and apply medicine to her bruises. She seemed like a nice lady. Why would people do that? His blue eyes shifted over to the pile of bodies.

"They deserved everything they got." The voice muttered with happiness.

"But why would they do that?"

The voice was silent for a moment before answering. "Because they could."

"Naruto-sama?" Kin questioned.

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing."

* * *

Zabuza was practically bursting with happiness. The safe was filled with money and jewelry, not to mention a few weapons. It was only after he had entered that he noticed the failsafe trap built into the safe, had he tried to force entry it would of exploded and everything would be lost! The girl would make a fine addition to his collection of weapons.

"There's got to be over a million ryo in here. Not to mention how much I could get for the jewels."

Zabuza was a happy man.

END.

**A/N- heh. heheh. i have to say, SNFS makes me warm and fuzzy inside. I dare you to go into a bar, walk by someone, and say 'Wow, naked chick!' See how many turn around.**

**On another note, I liked this chapter. I'm going to take a break from fighting in here. As you noticed I didn't go into much detail about the wherehouse battle, and Zabuza is a man of many talents. I had intended there to be a few more Kin oriented scenes with her trying to deal with Zabuza's dislike of her but this was getting too long. I also wanted an animal scene, but I had to move it the next chaper. Konoha's genin are in here for the simple fact that I wanted to show things aren't going cannon for them. And I love Sai. They all have to develop their teamwork among other things.**

**Senior Project is done and published. Thank GOD!**


	10. Test

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- The Sandiame's old teammate schemes his schemes as his subordinate is placed into team seven with Sasuke and Sakura. Kotaro has skipped out to party, err, make a house call. Zabuza's plans for revenge speed up as new tools come under his power. Leslie gets some protection, meanwhile Kyuubi rearranges it's own schedule. **

**A/N- Before going into the story, I feel it would be prudent to explain a little something about how chakra works (in this version at least) so people don't start reading and go 'huh?'. I'll let Inner Sakura explain, since she's so smart and kick-ass.**

**Well built, blood-red haired girl enters spotlight carrying a rolled up diagrams**

**"Alright numbskulls, the first thing you need to know about chakra is that it is a combination of physical and spiritual energy. The ideal mixture is 50/50 but everyone has different amounts." The diagram is set up and pulled down to show several ninja's in various types of training. **

**"Some who meditate have a higher spirit to body ratio, and those who train like freaks tend to have higher body to spirit. The point is chakra is influenced by both, which is the reason why hunter-nin's have to cremate a body. A good medic can analyze the chakra coils of the body and determine training methods used, and possible favored jutsu's." Diagram is rolled up to show a picture of human brain behind it. "Now considering that the spiritual part of chakra comes from experience and **_**thought**_** most people think that the brain is most important to the spiritual side. This is wrong. The brain is only an extension of the body, chakra is processed in the heart which is most closely associated with feelings.**

**"Considering this it should be no wonder that chakra contains bits of a ninja's overall personality, and that by stealing and implanting another's heart you can gain their chakra element. To this end there is no 'good' or 'evil' chakra. If someone has done largely 'bad' things of course their chakra is gonna give someone the creeps! It's subconsciously emitting the memories of those bad things."**

**Next picture shown is a human heart, the four chambers different colors. "Now, when the heart is added to another person, say by surgery or ingestion, a portion of the donators personality and spirit is transferred as well. Normally this bit will dissolve in time as the other's chakra overpowers it, but in some cases… very unique cases…" Inner Sakura grins and flips her hair back. "You'll just have to read to find out!" **

**Chapter Ten- Test**

Water dripped down Naruto's back, startling him into awareness. He spun and looked down the dark tunnel that seemed to stretch forever. Shivers ran along his back and the blonde hugged himself. "Hello?" All around water trickled from the ceiling into the small stream winding around dull brown bricks.

"_We're dead. You killed us."_

Naruto stepped back, rusty water swirling around his feet. Multiple voices hissed from the shadows, accusing. Cursing. _"What did we ever do to you!"_ The boy sucked in a breath as his heart sped up and his head whipped about trying in vain to find the source of the whispers. A pounding came from the back of his head, burrowing behind his eyeballs. "_You ripped off my arm."_

_"I had a girlfriend."_

_"A mother."_

_"Who will tell them what you've done?"_

_"You killed us all, brat! Hell-spawn!"_

_"Hell spawn!"_

_"Inhuman cretin!"_

Cold fingers of darkness began to encroach on his position eating the light as the throbbing in his head increased. Naruto groaned and felt his teeth grind together as he tried to block out the voices and the pounding. He didn't know what was going on, and it hurt too much to think.

From the shadows a dark hand reached out to grip his ankle, and from where it touched the boys skin turned a pale corpse-like gray. Naruto tried to kick off the hand in panic, but it only squeezed tighter.

"_Don't you remember me, Naruto-kun? I just wanted to help you…"_ The voice rose above the din of the others with sweet temptation as an arm attached to the hand became visable and emerged in a gruesome birth.

"M-mizuki-teme!" Memories flooded his mind as the pounding of his head continued, and for a moment the blonde demon container lost himself within them. His teacher, smiling. _No! He hated me!_ His teacher, trying to kill him and Iruka. _What happened to sensei?_ The explosion that had rocked the forest.

"Bastard? Is that anyway to talk to your teacher...?" The shadow-Mizuki laughed as the biting cold traveled up Naruto's leg leaving a trail of strained and blackened veins. More hands reached out and held the boy in place, screaming obscenities.

"_You killed us!"_

_"Bastard-child!"_

_"We will drag you down with us! To hell!"_

_"Hell is the only place fit for a murderous brat like you!"_

_"How dare you kill us!"_

_"How dare you __leave us to rot.__"_

Naruto screamed as his mind replayed everything that had happened since he left Konoha. Konoha was his home, wasn't it? "Weren't you going to be Hokage, Naruto-kun?"

Tears trickled down his cheeks as the pounding continued. _I did terrible things. I killed them. I killed Konoha shinobi. I killed civilians. Who would want me as leader..._

The false Mizuki smiled soothingly and relaxed his grip, inching upward to look into confused and tired blue eyes. "You need to go back, Naruto-kun. Konoha is the only safe place for you..."

* * *

Kyuubi narrowed it's eyes and peered past the bars on the cage into the darkness that was it's vessels mind. Her chakra was spiking, and striking at everything it could touch in agitation. Something was wrong. _What could that brat be up to? _"Naruto?"

No answer. Kyuubi waited a minute before calling again, though his fur was beginning to stand up. The boy wouldn't have figured out it's deception, would he? When it came to fighting the kid was clever enough to do any demon proud, but there were many things he lacked. Like common sense and sex drive, but the latter was a blessing as far as the demon was concerned. "Brat? Naruto?"

A quick scan proved that physically Naruto's body was fine, but his heart rate was too high. He was tense. Kyuubi cursed and closed it's eyes, watching as Naruto progressed into a nightmare. "Damn it! I thought I had suppressed all that guilt shit… he can't return! If he does I'll never get out." Kyuubi licked it's chops, thinking of possibilities. It was no ordinary nightmare, a strand of wild chakra should have disrupted one of those immediately. No, this was far more complex than idle thoughts, and set Kyuubi on edge. The way it repelled any and all attempts of the fox's manipulation proved that. Kyuubi snorted and began using it's tongue to clean teeth. Perhaps it's chakra was unable to pierce the compulsion jutsu, but maybe someone else's could. Human chakra may be able to fool the seal...

Kyuubi could faintly taste the exotic flavor of it's most recent meals. She carefully isolated the tiny bits of stubborn chakra and pulled them out, a plan forming. "Well, well, well, thought you were clever Yondaime. Thought you could get away with implanting compulsions into _my _vessel. Pah. Become Hokage? Protect the village? Perhaps it would have worked if he had been seen as a hero, but he wasn't. You forgot just who you were dealing with. You were eight hundred years too late to deal with me." Demonic blood-like chakra swirled around the two minute cores of glistening blue energy. The twin balls lapped at the raw power, absorbing it at an amazing speed and growing into humanoid shapes. Kyuubi grinned revealing his set of human length teeth, something the figures were already very familiar with. "I have a job for you two."

* * *

Naruto couldn't remember feeling so cold. "How could you betray the village like that, Naruto-kun?" The ghost of Mizuki asked. Naruto couldn't reply, his mind was trapped in a sewer of misery. The village had been right to hate him, unsupervised he had caused so much destruction and sadness….

"Back the fuck off!" A rough and vaguely familiar voice yelled accompanied by a whine of machinery. Naruto watched in mute shock as a chain of shuriken ripped through the shadow people, forcing them to release him. _Wha?_

Two figures burst through the darkness, glowing a faint red. They weaved around each other in perfect synchronistic movement while the chains they commanded shredded the shadows with blue tinted red chakra. Naruto's world tipped as one of the men scooped up his prone and recovering body bridal style. His mind was still sluggish from the whirlwind of memories and his body felt like lead. He had tried calling out for his conscience but it had felt as if a brick wall a thousand miles thick had separated them.

"Hey, kid. You okay?" Slowly dull blue eyes focused on the man holding him, and widened with recognition. Around them shadows seethed in anger at the interruption.

"Y-you're that guy… with the brother!" Naruto exclaimed and jumped out of the hold and into a defensive stance swaying slightly. Now that he was faced with something he could deal with, he felt the depression and uncharacteristic thoughts melting away. _I thought I killed them… no! Don't think about it! It's confusing! _

Gozu held up his hands in surrender with a dry laugh, his brother eyed the bubbling darkness and retracted his chain for later. "Demon brothers, we were called. Didn't think we'd meet a real one… kinda cool, that."

Naruto relaxed. "So you're not gonna try to kill me?" He rolled his ankle to get feeling back in.

Meizu shook his head. "Can't, you ate us. Well we had a little talk with the-"

Gozu silenced him with a glare and picked up the sentence. "With your conscience. It's very worried about you. It sent us to keep these things away so you can go on about your business."

"…if I ate you, how can you be here."

Meizu spoke up with a smile, though it was hard to tell because of the breather mask over his mouth. "The seal on your stomach opened a door to another plane where evil clones of the people you have fought before arise to confuse you. Since you ate my brother and me, we were able to go through the door in your stomach to help do battle. We live here which is located for all intents and purposes, inside you."

"…oh. Okay! I guess that makes sense." Naruto grinned. _Makes more since that the stupid seal would also be a door. How would a giant fox demon fit in my stomach anyway? Actually if this is another world the demon should be around here somewhere! Scary._

"Hey kid, why don't you wake up?"

"What?"

Gozu poked the blonde in the forehead, while at the same time channeling a small portion of the Kyuubi's stored chakra into him to jump start the waking process. Naruto gave a squeak and fell backward. He vanished moments before hitting the water.

Meizu looked around and backed into his brother, weapons drawn. The shadows inched forward, several of them now wearing the faces of those the two mist trained shinobi had eliminated during their short career. _"You killed us! You murderers!_"

The brothers laughed. Growing up in the 'bloody Mist' tended to cut morals and ethics down to the bare minimum. Murderer wasn't exactly an uncommon or unwanted title. You weren't considered an adult until first kill. Gozu pulled a kunai from a case on his brother's hip. "This has got to be heaven. All the people we could ever want to kill… over and over again."

"I don't know." The younger leapt forward into the pulsing mass of humanoid shadow, slashing and fighting for all he was worth.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes and found Kin hovering over him with a worried expression. Naruto sneezed and felt his stomach, the odd warmth that had always come from it. _There's an entire other world there! Awesome!_ _Wait... does that make me god? _

"Are you alright, Naruto-sama? You were shaking in your sleep…" Kin commented, a wet rag hung in her hands from her intent to apply it to the small child's forehead. Naruto flashed her a smile and threw off his covers, they were still staying in the cabin, and walked to the corner where his things sat. He sorted through the forehead protectors, stumbling upon the two with the four curvy lines.

"Gozu and Meizu, so that's their names… I'll remember for next time."

Kin sighed and dropped the cloth into the bowl she had been using. Haku had told her what to do and had left the fevered boy in her hands. _I'd be a pretty bad servant if I let my master die. _For whatever reason the fever had passed. _Didn't even have to use the medicine. _

The girl stood and took the bowl over to the small kitchen and left it by the sink, her steps confidant. Zabuza had given her a little talk about tools and how to care for them, and as strange as it was, she felt better after it. Caring for human tools was much like sharpening a knife, you have to follow the groves it gives you. Trying to force the blade to conform to one's ideas will only dull it.

Apparently this meant Kin was stuck to practicing calligraphy while the others were out, and tending Naruto. She didn't mind. The new perspectives this philosophy offered was amazing and strangely heart-warming. Orochimaru had never really cared about his tools. "Naruto-sama, Zabuza-san wants you to meet him by the well when you feel up to it, though I don't think he'll be there for a while. He and Haku went into the village to pick up some things."

"What's he want that for?" Naruto asked while rearranging the stolen forehead protectors. He chewed his bottom lip and debated if he should wear one. Technically he hadn't passed the test, but hadn't he still fought with -and against- official ninja? Didn't he have awesome jutsu skills?

Kin shrugged and found the small stack of paper left for her as well as a brush and knife. Her eyebrows lifted at that. _Ha ha. Very funny Haku, I'm not using my blood._ "Dunno. Something about testing your competency with a sword…"

"Alright!"

The kunoichi shook her head in exasperation. "Didn't even close the door…"

* * *

Hinata waited beneath a tree at the assigned training ground, one hand scratching Akamaru behind the ear. Kiba was resting to the side in a patch of mid-morning sunlight. Kurenai-sensei had the habit of turning up at the right time and most of her students had taken to turning up early to try and catch her approach. Despite Hinata's bloodline vision the girl hadn't quite caught her sensei.

Shino voiced his suspicions at last nights dinner and the other two genin of Team Eight were forced to agree. Genjutsu.

The bug user of the group could be seen keeping to the shade of the countless trees as he walked toward them. Shino was punctual as well but at least he could be seen. Kiba's nose twitched and he rolled over to wave at his compatriot. "Morning."

Shino nodded and leaned against the tree. Hinata leaned back as Akamaru suddenly shifted under her hand and bounced over to Kiba. Animals thought and experienced things differently from humans making them a weakness to genjutsu users and Kiba was taking advantage of that. "Good morning sensei!"

Kurenai ghosted from behind a tree and tapped her loudest student on the shoulder, causing him to spin around with a look of annoyance. "Good morning, Kiba. Hinata. Shino." She smiled to each of her students and passed a small treat to Akamaru. During her academy years she had kept a large dog, but after graduation she never had to time to care for it and as it wasn't a nin-dog it could hardly come with her on missions. _Perhaps I should look into getting a summons..._ Seeing Kiba's attachment to his partner brought up memories of her pet. "If I may, did you three have fun last night?"

Surprisingly it was Hinata who spoke up. Also surprising was instead of tapping her two index fingers together they circled each other. It was like twidling thumbs, only it was her fingers. "Ano... Kiba's mother is a really good cook... and his family is nice... I enjoyed it."

Shino voiced his agreement and Kiba cheered. Unspoken was the wish to do it again. Obviously in Inuzuka clan was extremely likable._ Compared to the Hyuuga they must be paradise. _The jounin rested a hand on her hip and gestured to the field where various obstacles could be seen. "Alright. I've set the gears, and added a few traps myself. Your goal is: reach the oak in the center and retrieve the three charms I've attached to the branches."

"Are their any rules or limitations?" Shino asked softly as he adjusted his glasses. Someday the red eyed woman was going to get him some goggles.

* * *

Suki watched the humans and studied them curiously. They seemed to exchange the shiny bits for favors, which the squirrel could understand whole heartedly, but they did the same with the flimsy bits too. That was confusing as they didn't use it to build shelters. What good was the flimsy bit?

"Hey. It's called money. Cash." Squash commented from his perch beside the squirrel leader, his gaze following that of the smaller creature. "I been living here for years and still don't understand the fascination with it- it just keeps trading hands and sometimes gets back to the person who gave it away in the first place."

Suki raised a paw and scratched at an ear. _Humans are strange._ "So, they thump thump and gather gather same place? Every sun?" He leaned toward the other animal but was careful to maintain a respectful distance. Raccoons didn't normally eat squirrels but it wouldn't due to offend their most important helper.

The city adapted raccoon took a moment to puzzle out the strange speech that the squirrel employed. "Yeah, but it's more like ev'ry few suns. Days. 'Cuz they have these box things that stores the food for them and keeps it from rotting."

The brown furry animal turned his attention back to the market street, tail twitching intermittently, and continued watching. "Where do givers get it?"

"Dunno, but I got a friend that lives near a farm. I think she said something 'bout a big man den to store stuff... not sure why they do that farm stuff."

"Farm feed family, right? Right? Make sense." Suki watched, fascinated by the squiggly lines. "Why they mark?"

"Eh? Actually… I don't know why they do that. I think it's called writing."

"Writing." The leader of the squirrels hopped along the roof, tail twitching. Lady Fox had suggested that they study more than how the humans used their chakra, and it was coming in handy. But the marks were the sticking point. They just couldn't figure out what they were, what they meant. The problem had been taken back home but the only thing they could come up with was territory markers.

Problem was they did not mark with scent and the writing moved just as often as it remained stationary. Not territorial then. "It important." Suki was sure of that.

Squash shrugged and climbed down a rain pipe into a back alley. "So? I'm going to get something to eat, you coming?"

He scratched at an eat rapidly and smoothed down his brown fur. "It important." Suki performed a back flip and rushed along rooftops using chakra to boost his leaps. Eventually he came to a meeting point where a group of birds were waiting near a puddle. Their cover of course was the 'bird bath'. "Nemi!"

The young bird hopped over. "Yeees?"

"Go to the big place. Find out about writing. Take others with you."

"I wiiiiill." She shrilled and exploded into the air, two of the others on her trail. Suki watched with a small amount of envy before dismissing the emotion. Flight was dangerous. Leave the sky to the birds and the cover to him. Plans began forming in his mind, plans revolving around the things he had learned with the raccoon as guide. He just needed to discuss it with the other leaders.

* * *

_He's pretty small, but I don't want to get him used to something he'll grow out of._ Zabuza rubbed his covered chin and gave the barrels of bokken another glance-over. His clones, _damn useful things_, had been left to evaluate the overall skill level of his newest acquisition while he and Haku traveled to town to gather supplies. Now that they had some money to spend the boy was eager to pick up a few more accessories.

"Are you looking for something in particular, sir?" The graying shop owner asked with squinted eyes and a smile. His hands were one big callous, and Zabuza instantly began attempting to puzzle out the mans history. Blacksmith, former. Probably made several of the pieces on sale before surrendering the majority of the work to a family member or friend. Barely a blip on the threat radar. "From that beautiful work on your shoulder I assume you would want something a bit… ah… bigger?"

Zabuza reached up and patted the handle of his faithful weapon with fondness. Kubikiri had been taken from his former sensei's corpse, literally. "Not for me, though I may like to have some professional repairs made to this one. It's been a while."

There was a gleam in the shop keepers eyes as he appraised the legendary sword of one of the seven swordsmen. "It would be an honor to polish up such a blade, a true work of a master." He bowed once again.

"Could you have it done by tonight?" The missing-nin swung the sword down and fingered one of the many tiny nicks in the metal. The life of a ninja was a hard one, especially a ninja on the run, and he hadn't been able to care for it as he would like. _Now that we have time and money it can get a real polish. I can sharpen and clean but repairs are beyond me._

"Of course, of course! I imagine that a warrior such as yourself would hate to be separated from his partner for long. Will there be any thing else I can help you with?"

There was a wooden sword of a deep red wood that caught his eye. He suspected it had been purchased from a carpenter, as opposed to many of the slap-dash swords sitting in the barrels. It lacked a cloth for the handle, but the boy had plenty of spare strips if it really bothered him. In a blink the muscled man plucked the sword out and held it up for closer inspection.

Satisfied, Zabuza asked, "How much?"

"Ah, that's a particular piece my son," Zabuza shot the old shop keeper a look. "One thousand, discount for the service you and yours have done the town."

Zabuza nodded and dropped the money and his beloved sword on the counter. "I'll be back before nightfall."

"She will be ready by then, sir." The shop keeper pushed up a pair of glasses and counted out the ryo as Zabuza left the weapons shop, new bokken in hand.

Zabuza walked the street and watched as people moved with a certain something that had been absent the days before. A spark? With the local thugs gone the townspeople seemed happier uncaring of the bloodbath that had taken place.

"Oh! Excuse me!" A woman epped as she hurriedly exited a shop and danced around the large man. She crossed the street and waved to a friend, Zabuza watched as a breeze caught a few strands of hair and caused flashes of gold as they reflected the sunlight. _Golden hair…_

Boards creaked under the weight of the two hundred plus ninja as he poked his head into the grocery store and speared the cashier with his eyes. "Where is the nearest bar?"

There was a young man at the post and he squeaked. Zabuza looked dangerous and scary, there was no way around that. "I think Ginger's Ale is open now, down the street to the right. Past the fountain, next to the apothecary."

Zabuza grunted his acknowledgement. _So that's what the building was. No wonder the kid had gone in it so much. _ Using the trademark method of all shinobi, Zabuza took to the rooftops and headed for the bar. _Where there's a bar there's wenches._

* * *

Haku exchanged pleasantries with the seamstress and owner as he entered the shop humming a soft tune, one of those his mother had been fond of. The ice user had just seen the shadow that was his mentor heading off for some _relaxation. _That sat just fine with Haku who privately thought it would do the normally serious and blood thirsty shinobi some good. _And while he's busy with that I can work on getting him some new clothes, kami knows we need it. _

A dark green material slipped through slim fingers far a moment before Haku sighed and discarded it. The color would be good for hiding but wasn't hardy enough. Absently the boy walked among the clothing racks searching for something that looked as if it could take the punishment his a shinobi's life style dished out. Dust from years of fabric traffic tickled his nose and caused him to sneeze. The family run shop didn't bother much with sweeping.

"Bless you."

"Thank you." Haku rubbed his nose and glanced up wondering if he could henge and get into a larger city that might have some shinobi worthy gear. Something that was more fashionable at any rate. _That's a neat trick, the ceiling is so blue it's almost black, then fades to white at the floor. _

"It was done with layers." The kindly seamstress commented from her seat at the front of the store. She smiled and pointed at the white band going around the store, the thimble on her finger nearly falling off, and explained. "Lot's of people that come in here ask about it. My father did it. See, he was having trouble deciding what shade of blue to make it, and mother got annoyed and said to use all the buckets. It was quite a bit of work, let me tell you." She slipped a needle from the fabric she was working on and placed it between pursed lips.

"It's very pretty." Haku's eyes sparkled upon landing on the section for the heavier cloth, plotting. The layers comment had given him an idea. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could get steel mesh?"

The middle aged woman shot him a confused look before realization dawned. "Ah, you're one of them ninja-types." She smirked and put her stitching to the side, standing up and brushing off random bits of thread and fabric. "Just so happens I got some in the back. 'Couple of them dead beats were looking into it but when I told them the price they never showed."

She reached over the register and put up a 'back in five' sign up. Haku followed her to the back room, which was a like walking into a dream. Clothing in styles that spanned several decades was stored in water-proof boxes, as well as a wide variety of bolts of cloth in case someone wanted a special made outfit.

"My family has been running this store for generations, every year a few of us travel around the major capital cities to research the latest fashions. Of course, out here we tend to build up lots of stock but we also get orders from out of town for some of the older things!"

"Truly an impressive selection." He meant it.

"Thank you! Here we are, it's a bit heavy and big for you, but there were some directions," the mesh clinked as the seamstress pushed it aside and searched the box. "Ah ha!" With a flourish she presented a small pamphlet to the boy, the directions on altering the chakra-sensitive mesh.

Haku's eyes skimmed over the words. It didn't look too hard, and with their funds though expensive the outfits he had in mind would be in his price range. He looked up. "I'll take them, now there were a few items in the store proper that had my interest though not the right size…"

* * *

Thousands of beady black eyes stared at him from above. At least, that was what it felt like as numerous forest dwellers perched on the trees watching. Watching, and Shidou had no idea if they understood. The vixen was the only one that could answer back, and she wasn't available for the demonstration.

"This is a kunai, or as most historically minded individuals call, glorified shovel." The woodsman held up a rusty kunai from his makeshift table. It had come from a small collection of random objects that had been gathering in the cellar for generations. It was the 'random ninja shit' that was used in battles and forgotten about, probably due to lack of time to retrieve it all. "Most shinobi use these for basic traps and distractions. They serve today as a throwing knife, but as you can tell by the width of the blade and angle it could be put to good use as a digging tool."

Shidou set it down and picked up a knitting needle. He didn't actually have any senbon but he knew what they looked like and figured the animals would get the point. At least, from the way several squirrels had started chattering and looking at their paws he hoped so. He was willing to bet they didn't quite understand why humans would need something to help dig.

"This is what a senbon looks like, except they usually pointed at both ends. Some shinobi use them to knock out opponents. Some acupuncturist's use them to heal. My mother used them to heal and knit." With a small amount difficultly because it had been years since he last tried, Shidou wound some yarn around the needle and quickly demonstrated the basic 'knit'. In the tree's a group of exotic seeming birds thrilled in recognition of the action.

Setting the needles down, Shidou picked up a set of metal jack-type pieces and held them up. "These are caltrops. They are used to aid in running away by slowing down the opponent. Stepping on them can be very painful, and they are usually used when sharp." He tossed them to the ground, took a breath, and walked on them. Shidou bit his cheek and jumped back to rub his foot. Luckily the things were too dull to cut him. "Like I said, it's painful and sharpened can injure the persuer enough to force him to stop."

At this most of the animals began jumping up and down, pointing and chattering in their animal speech that went completely over his head. Shidou scooped up the caltrops and dropped him in a can while waiting for the commotion to die down. He was getting ready to move on to the non shinobi weapons when a nervous wave sweapt through the crowd. Somewhat attuned to the forest and it's inhabitants Shidou stopped and looked toward the disturbance.

There was a large animal hobbling toward the clearing, but he couldn't make out exactly what it was. "Shidou… human…" The throaty rumble of the fox vixen issued from the same direction. Shidou watched as the much more fluid form of Lady Fox joined the hobbling figure. It was dragging something hard in it's mouth.

They emerged from the shadowy brush, and Shidou felt his anger boil. A distressed wolf limped into the clearing on three legs. The forth was partially decomposed and locked in a rusty hunters trap. The scrawny wolf tossed the offending object out. Lady fox narrowed her eyes at it in disgust. "What is… it?"

"It is a bear trap." Shidou's father had always thought the metal monstrosities were unfair and heartless. Their family had preferred snares, and the sight before him caused Shidou to affirm his faith the wire traps. Sure they could go off wrong and cause pain before death but these ALWAYS did it. "Hunters use them, and sometimes they are forgotten."

He went over to the macabre metal teeth and found the lever to loosen it. It came apart with a shriek. Using a stick he gestured the pressure mechanism. "When enough wait is on this part," he pressed down with the stick. "Maybe a bigger stick?"

Second time around the blood encrusted teeth snapped up and broke the stick. The gathered creatures hissed and stepped back, fearful. "These… bear traps… have been a problem… for years. It has crippled… the wolf and… killed others."

Shidou watched as the young wolf licked at the still bleeding wound. It had healed to a degree but sloppily and still leaked blood and pus. There was no question that the animal had chewed it's own leg off to get away. "May I look at it?"

The wolf growled softly but let him walk closer. It was bad. "Can… you… do anything?" Lady Fox questioned curiously.

Shidou shook his head. "I have some painkillers but that's it. Nothing to help with the infection. If you could find a retired medic-nin maybe-"

"Medic? Medic-nin? What... do they do?" There was the tone of distrust in her voice. The forest creatures did not trust shinobi of any sort.

"They speacialize in using their chakra -fire- to heal."

* * *

Storage scrolls. They had her working on something so basic as simple storage scrolls, though admittedly it made sense. Neither missing-nin appeared to carry large packs on them and undoubtedly they would have to carry quite a bit of supplies with them. It wasn't like they could just walk into any place they wanted to when they ran low on something. There was always the possibility of being sighted and reported to authorities.

Kin shivered at the thought of being forced to return to Oto and working for them. Now that she had some food in her, and some rest, she was thinking clearly without the drive of panic. It was unlikely that they would just kill her, she would have proved to useful to get rid of outright. Either they would experiment on her body or send her on suicide missions.

The former was more likely.

Anger simmered in her body and she pushed her brush down a bit more forcefully than intended, smearing previous work. "Who came up with these damn things anyway?" Kin grumbled and balled up the paper she was practicing on before tossing it into the bin. Most seals were designed in a circular pattern with spirals being the strongest, though there were a few exceptions to that rule.

Haku had made a foot note about a man in the Waterfall village that had developed a specialized seal that went down in lines like regular writing but it only worked to transport items from one scroll to another. The seal was limited as it could only handle objects that would fit on the surface it was written on within a few inches and if not attuned to the other scroll would end up catching fire.

Easier to write but the little nuisances were too troublesome. Besides that, how often would someone be able to tell another to put the weapon on the scroll and send it in time for it to be useful? Kin pulled her hair from the pony-tail she'd put it in to keep it out of the way, and ran her fingers through the course threads, thinking.

Her role was first to take care of Naruto-sama, that went unsaid. She had to make sure remained at the least, content. It he was upset it would cause trouble for them all. Her place in the team was a bit different than what she expected from life a shinobi. Mind games and physical combat was what she had been prepped for.

_'In the shinobi world, there are very few who take an interest in designing new seals. Even less learn how to __dismantle__ them. I've heard of some people countering by overlaying one, but to break it… I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. You are not stupid.' _Kin snorted. She wasn't stupid, but the idea seemed strange. But it was practical. How much easier it would be for a shinobi team to have a master a seal cracking and lock picking?

In order to find and exploit the weaknesses of them, she first had to master creating them. _Maybe I'll figure out how to do this without the annoying circle pattern. It's pissing me off._ She dropped the brush and flexed her hand smiling in satisfaction as her knuckles popped. The problem in creating the storage seals was that not only did it require a small amount of constant chakra flow while making the marks, but they had to be made from the out inward. If she miscalculated the space needed even a little bit it was wasted.

While Kin had prided herself on independent study of a wide variety of subjects art wasn't one of them. Good hand-eye coordination did not good calligraphy make. Annoyed with her lack of progress Kin got up and stretched. She needed a break from the endless tracks of black on yellow or her brain would melt. "I wonder what how Naruto-sama is doing?"

Dark eyes landed on a basic lock that had been left with her things for her to practice with. Or to relieve boredom. It was hard to tell with Haku, the boy was like a parfait with all those layers. Top was sweet and creamy , and digging a bit deeper a load of sugar coated fruit to cause her pause, but Kin suspected below that was a gritty gram-cracker too stubborn to get soggy and admit defeat. _Or maybe I just want a parfait._

Kin examined the lock and found some left-over wire in her pouch. Almost delicately she held the lock in her hand and stuck the slim wire in, twisting and turning it while listening for any clues to the inner workings of the thing.

Kin decided she hated straight-forward locks the most.

* * *

Naruto was breathing hard, his sweat staining the wood a weird purple. He was crouched close the ground, Zabuza's water clone holding the end of a branch close to his throat. During the battle at the ware-house Zabuza didn't get a very good picture of the boy's sword skills and so had hoped to correct that today. Apparently he didn't have any beyond 'this is the pointy end, it goes into OTHER people'. They were using branches taken from surrounding tree's instead of real swords, so the nin had thought his new student was just getting used to it, but that was not the case.

"Who gave you this, again?" A shadow clone Zabuza asked from the tree's where he was watching the two battle it out. While the water clone was weaker and therefore closer to Naruto's level it couldn't transmit information upon death. The shadow clone would, so it was his duty to watch and judge. To his surprise the katana Naruto had was a good quality and would take quite a bit of punishment. He even went so far as to guess that the blade had been layered with one of the new alloys to help conduct chakra. "I doubt they just gave these away to anyone."

Naruto leaned on his temporary weapon, wiped his palms on his too-big shirt, and took a breath. Both clones watched in amusement as the boy that had been getting tossed around (and in) the well recover. He went from about to pass out to barely winded in three minutes flat. "No one gave it to me. I took it. Spoils of war."

That declaration brought a smirk to the murders lips. The spoils of war was an extremely Kiri outlook, and one he could accept. "Makes sense." While other villages certainly practiced taking things from downed enemies to supplement yourself, like ration bars and extra weapons, the bloody Mist was the only one to take it into their own village. That was one of the ways to advance through the ranks, though few did it. Kill a jounin, and you take their title. If you're fast enough you might even take their wife.

"…I'm not very good, am I?" Naruto groused and walked over to the well to draw up some water to drink. All the hopping around was making him thirsty!

"Truthfully, you suck. You fight like a baby." The water clone mocked as it took out a kunai and began shaving bits off of his own branch to make it more sword-like.

A vein could be seen throbbing near the blonde's hairline, and Naruto went red. He knew he wasn't very good, especially against a far more experienced swordsman, but he wasn't that bad! It wasn't his fault he'd never been properly trained before! "I do not fight like a baby!" The bucket went into the air, forgotten. "Why do you have to be so-"

Like a good leader, the Mist trained shinobi was learned how his subordinates ticked. Before Naruto exploded into a rant of self-righteous indignity, further proving Zabuza's theory that he had been neglected, the water clone closed the distance and pushed a kunai close to the young boys stomach. Naruto swallowed, self preservation warring with anger.

"Relax. He won't hurt you, he just wants to make a point." Naruto's conscience remarked.

"Has anyone ever tried to teach you how to use one?" One what was obvious, and though he was still scowling Naruto shook his head in the negative. "Then it's not your fault. You got potential but it's going to take some work. I'll teach you."

As the clone tossed Naruto back his branch, Naruto's mind cleared off all the little insults he'd been thinking up. He liked Haku and Zabuza, that was why he agreed to the terms of the evaluation and didn't try any of his other techniques. Now with the offer of teaching Naruto REALLY liked Zabuza. _I'm going to look so kick-ass with my sword! I'll slice them and dice them!_

"And put them in a pie?" The voice whispered hopefully.

"Eh, no. No pies. I can't cook." Naruto answered as he cheerfully fell into the basic sword stance and let the clone make adjustments. He still missed Iruka-sensei, which Zabuza's calm patient comments reminded him of, but he was starting to get the big picture. Leaving Konoha was probably the best thing he had ever done for himself.

Zabuza pressed down on the short boy's shoulders to get him to relax, and let the pie comment slide. Part of him was curious as to where it had come from, but it really wasn't any of his business. If the kid could multi-task all the better. _I don't think I want to know how his mind works anyway._

* * *

"Excuse me!" A voice shrilled as the body it belonged to twisted expertly through the half opened window. Around the room other birds of prey ruffled feathers in a show of annoyance but peered at the newcomer with interest. Leki was a wild falcon, a forest falcon, and didn't bother the human bred messenger birds. Unless she had a story. "How has the hunting been, Lord Joshua?"

Most raptors were sticklers for formalities. Joshua blinked from his perch and stared at the slim female. She shook out her feathers from the rough landing and waited happily for a reply. Joshua wondered how she was able to maneuver like she did, the window opening was tiny! _Being big isn't everything, I suppose._ "It has been well enough. Is there any particular reason you're here?"

The other birds tuned in, those with hoods cocking their heads to listen. Leki emitted a low pitched questioning warble to a young sparrow-hawk before hoping up to his perch and taking some water.

"Actually, it's just that I have been hearing some things, you see, and they may or may not effect you." She paused to smooth down some white chest feathers. There was a nail head that always caught her when she tried getting in the roost that messed up her look. One day she was going to get the human to fix it. One day. "I've heard it on the grapevine that there are a bunch of creatures planning a revolt of some kind sun up."

Above an old peregrine hawk shifted and called down: "East. Humans call sun up east."

Leki bobbed her head. "East then. The creatures want to fight the humans and take back the forest. I figure since Lord Joshua works with humans he would like to know."

Joshua looked down at his foot and the small bell attached to it. He himself had mastered the art of moving without it ringing, but few others had. That in itself could be thought of as a form of rebellion, but the nonsense the feral falcon was talking of was ridiculous. Humans were too _many _too _big_ and too_ clever_ to oppose.

How many adult humans won a fight with a raptor? Sure they could get in their licks, but nothing would stop the tide. "This is preposterous. Your information must be inaccurate."

"Nope. I checked it out myself before coming. It's an… what was it called again… alliance! Land walkers and sky rulers are working together, and not just the big ones. Little prey birds are in on it too."

"Why?" Asked a dark brown male across the room. "How?"

"I heard they are learning how to use the _fire_. Then they're going to use it on the _humans._" Leki spoke as if it were a great secret, and a hush fell down on the room. A soft breeze came from the window and danced with loose feathers and dust but did not intrude on the suddenly introspective birds.

Joshua's gold eyes turned to the door where he could hear the faint thumping of footsteps. "Leki, do you plan to join them?"

"Me?" She too had turned to the door. "I don't know… my territory is rarely touched by humans."

The door opened and Yoshi walked in, his eyes quickly taking count of his avian menagerie and noticing the new addition. His face lit up sending a beam of joy into the thoughtful atmosphere. "Wow! A forest falcon, and a collared one at that. How did you get in, lovely?" He took careful steps toward Leki.

She spared one last glance at the head falcon, and spread her wings. _Think about what I said Lord Joshua. The humans you keep come from the den in the East. _

Yoshi squawked as Leki zipped from her perch, casually batting him in the nose as she sped by and out the window. He followed her path, rubbing at the wounded spot. "Beautiful."

The others shifted uneasily at their posts in thought. What would they do if the forest rebelled? Should they do anything? Most liked their handler, he was fair and sometimes spoiled them. He let them raise their own chicks. Those in the big den were not allowed to do that.

Yoshi sighed and went around switching out old water for new in their tins. "Lord Joshua?" A female asked softly so that their human would not hear. "Should we do something?"

Joshua turned his head and buried it in a wing. "No. If anything happens, we'll deal with it then. No sense worrying."

Yoshi finished refilling the bowls and looked around. His elated mood from seeing the new bird had gone, and he felt weird. It was the feeling he got before one of his beasts grew ill, or something worse. They seemed less chatty today. Almost cautious. Yoshi tried to shake the feeling. Tried.

* * *

Kurenai watched them work their way around the course with pride. They used the environment to their advantage and communicated effectively. Her emotions flared. She knew she wasn't supposed to teach it -she wasn't even supposed to know it!- but it would help them. She watched as Hinata located the control seal of the dummies and sent a spike of chakra through it effectively shutting down the drones. Most genin and chunin tended to simply plow through the drones instead of taking out the controls. The chunin maintenance workers preferred that method; they hated the work required to replace control seals.

Shino moved in calculated graceful movements, his arms rarely left his pockets as he avoided a sets of kunai and shuriken. Hinata called out a warning and Kiba responded with an enthusiastic yell as he ignored the illusionary fireball that hit him head on. _Adrenaline rush... _

Kurenai leapt higher into the tree to better monitor her team's progress. _My sensei taught us, why not continue the tradition? They've certainly earned it. I doubt any of them will actually go for ANBU anyway. Hinata is too focused on face-to-face fighting. Kiba will never be accepted unless he's willing to loose Akamaru. Shino might... but somehow I can't see it. _Ruby lips quirked in a grin. "Alright. ANBU hand signals it is."

Kiba and Akamaru corkscrewed through the ground setting off hidden mines that Shino's bugs had detected. Shino and Hinata walked around the debris at a steady rate toward their goal. Three charms hung from the dead limbs of a tree, their small bells clinking in the breeze. Hinata continued up the bark at a sedate pace but Kurenai could see she was winded. The girl had been pushing her limits the past few days, it was a wonder she hadn't burned out.

Kurenai approached as Hinata reached the upper limbs, carefully balanced with chakra as the scraggily branches wouldn't have supporter her otherwise, and began cutting the strings that held the charms in place with a kunai. Kiba was running around catching them, Akamaru following with happy barks, and the red eyed woman decided that it wasn't just adrenaline. The Inuzuka was a natural brawler. He _energized_ by fighting. The more he tussled, the harder the battle became, the stronger he got.

It was a rare to find such good chemsitry in a team.

"That was a little unorthodox, but I was very pleased with your performance and teamwork." Hinata lost her control at the praise and the branches supporting her snapped sending her flying to the ground. Kurenai's throat seized as she watched, arms automatically reaching out to catch the girl. Solid ninja's acted without thinking, after all. Kurenai sat her student down with a sigh. "Hinata, next time your running so low ask someone else to do it."

The girl looked down, ashamed, and began twiddling her fingers. "A-ah. Sorry, sensei."

The raven haired woman twirled to her male students, tongue clicking in dissatisfaction. After last night's semi-rivalry she felt they deserved a kick in the pants. "Next time a girl is falling, I don't care who, I expect my gentlemen to catch her. Got it?"

Kiba looked from Hinata to the charms still in his hands in embarrassment before nodding. "I get it, sensei. Sorry Hinata." _Friends before mission._

Shino nodded his confirmation of the lesson. _Being a shinobi does not mean one has to act like a hardened killer. We have our missions, but we have our own morals and edict too._

Appeased for the moment, Kurenai gestured to the charms. "Remove the paper from the bell and take one. These papers are made from special tree's and are used to determine a person's elemental affinity. The known possible elements are Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning. Shino, which are advantageous?"

The bug user rubbed the yellow parchment between his fingers while answering, something that the academy never taught. "Fire is strong to wind but weak to water. Wind is strong against lightning. Water is weak to earth. Earth is weak against lightning."

"Very good. Now to find out which element is yours channel a small –small!- amount of chakra into the paper as if you would for tree walking."

* * *

Hinata closed her eyes and concentrated. She blocked out the ache that filled her entire body, at least she ignored it as much as possible to complete her given task. She knew she was tired, exhausted, and on the verge of collapse, but Naruto wouldn't have given up. He would have been ecstatic to learn his element.

Naruto.

Her reason. Eyes blue like whirlpools she could drown in.

Whirlpools…Hinata frowned at the slick wetness on her fingers and opened her eyes. The parchment was drenched and sticking to her hand. "Kurenai-sensei? I think I'm water."

Someone had just won twenty ryo.

* * *

Shino glared at the little scrap of yellow behind his glasses. He officially hated it, and ran another bit of chakra into the thing. It quivered as if in agony, and Shino could imagine it screaming for mercy as he shocked it again. This time it went straight before falling limp as if it had given up all hope.

Sensing victory his allies hummed in anticipation. The bug user sent a last charge into the paper and nearly voiced his anger at the lack of reaction.

A feminine hand rested on his shoulder. "It's alright, Shino. Not everyone has an element."

Shino gave into his superiors logic and handed her the parchment. It wasn't like he needed a bunch of jutsu anyway. "It would likely have interfered with my allies." He still glared at the offending piece of paper as the jounin folded it up and stored it away.

* * *

Akamaru sniffed the suspicious paper and claimed that was no active chakra within the thing itself, and so Kiba did as instructed. It moved, and so he deducted that he hadn't used enough. "Let's try this again…" With another burst of energy the paper suddenly emitted a shriek and began folding in on itself as if having some strange seizer. "Sensei! I don't know what this means!"

Kurenai walked over and watched the phenomenon curiously. "You used too much chakra, but I would have to say… lightning. Definitely lightening."

Kiba gave her a shit eating grin. "So I get to electrocute people. Sweet!"

END.


	11. Lead

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- Naruto has escaped the intolerance of Konoha and fallen in with a more relaxed crowd; mainly Zabuza, Haku, and Kin. Kin considers him her savior/master, though not to the god-like proportions of Leslie. Kyuubi through an expert manipulation of chakra managed to get a few houseguests. In the shadows of Konoha several different factions gather their information and suspicions. The word of Fire Country's animal rebellion spreads among nature, and with it new, dangerous, ideas.**

**A/N- Yet another chapter that flew out of my plans and changed the intended direction of the characters. Tenten's determined to get screen time, even if she has to turn angsty to do it!**

**Chapter Eleven: Lead**

Zabuza sat with his back against the bed's headboard, one knee up to support his arm. He was watching the tiny slits of morning light filter through the blinds and climb along the blankets. In another twenty minutes they would be on the girls face to wake her. At the moment, his whore was sleeping soundly, one delicate hand resting on his left leg.

He had a small headache when he had woken from the new information that downloaded itself into his brain when his clone dispelled itself. In the corner his beautifully restored cleaver sat innocently next to Naruto's katana like some meancing guard. The kid had been pissed, but not too much. If he knew what was good for him he would be practicing what the water bushin demonstrated.

Thinking of the kid brought to mind the curvaceous form he morphed into, which turned Zabuza's thoughts to last night's conquest.

On impulse the ninja brushed a strand of her silvery hair from her face. He had wanted a blonde. A deep gold like the sun, cheerful, but Ginger's Ale didn't have that. Apparently blondes were already rare enough and very few missed an opportunity to wed well. Keiko was the closest thing, her ashen hair a genetic quirk that popped up every few generations.

His hand followed the curve of her neck, pausing for a moment as he watched her pulse beat in the jugular, before continuing. She was still naked, having not bothered to dress after the third time and shivered as he touched her thighs. She had good, child-bearing thighs. Not many of the selection did, and it was one of the reasons he picked her.

For some strange, unknown, reason women of the last few decades had gotten it into their heads that men found slim bodies attractive. It was true, but only to a certain extent. Zabuza had always been attracted to women that had meat on their bones, something he could hold onto. He squeezed the sleeping Keiko's bottom in satisfaction and she curled up in response. _Not like the skinny things that pass for models these days. I could break them in two with one hand._

Good behavior should always be rewarded. Or at least that was what one of his teachers once said. Zabuza stepped onto the wood floor and the mattress let out a relieved sigh. The bed was made of a sturdy wood, built to last. It also helped to keep things seem more private during the activities.

"Momochi-sama...?" Keiko muttered still half-asleep. When he had gotten up it shifted the mattress enough to rouse her.

Zabuza ignored the question as he was digging through his clothing, looking for his pants. The woman tilted her head and yawned, gesturing vaguely to the opposite wall where they had been thrown sometime in the night. He picked them up from under a leather newly upholstered armchair and found a small scroll in one of the pockets. "What's your favorite color?"

Keiko drew the quilt over her head and wriggled suggestively to the other end. She poked her head out from the quilt and gathered a corner of it to form a make-shift pillow. "Blue. Why?" She yawned.

The beams of sunlight had already passed the girls new headrest, and so Zabuza figured she would get another hour of sleep at least. _Smart girl._ "Blue, huh?" He unrolled the scroll and selected a patch of what would appear to the untrained eye meaningless scribbles. Zabuza bit his thumb on sharpened teeth and pressed it against the paper releasing a sealed hair pin.

As he moved to pick it up a shadow appeared in the window. "Zabuza-sama."

He recognized the ever-pleasant voice. "Haku. What are you doing here?"

Said boy flipped the latch on the window with a senbon and slipped in, watching as Zabuza placed the chosen sapphire-studded pin in the whore's hair. It was one of those multi-purpose pins that could be used to kill as well as decorate, and Haku envied her for a moment. Then he remembered he had already claimed one for himself, and that one had a moving dragonfly on it.

Haku held out a set of tissue wrapped clothing. "I bought you some new clothes, Zabuza-sama. Ours are getting a little worn-down."

_Understatement._ Zabuza mentally added as he removed the paper. _Not too bad. He's even managed to get chain mail reinforcement on the jacket._ "Find anything for the kid?"

"Not really. Naruto-kun is a bit small for a shinobi, and they didn't have anything I thought appropriate."

"Guess he's still borrowing your things then." Zabuza grinned and began dressing. "We'll need to get him something new though, and the girl, too. How she coming along on those seals?"

"I believe she can manage basic storing, if she can be patient enough to do it and not screw up." Haku was now smiling too. He remembered learning those, and the hours of washing his hands of the ink when his bloodline came out and splattered it everywhere. He had quickly learned getting mad while dealing with liquids was not a good thing.

"Good. She can carry the brat's things then." Zabuza buckled his new jeans, which were rather baggy and so required the buckle. He didn't usually go for the heavy material as it became restricting in the most inopportune moments but Haku had picked a size that didn't look too big and still gave him room. It would hold up for a long time, too. And had several pockets. Zabuza had to give his protégé props for the pockets.

* * *

Iruka leaned against his crutch as he hobbled down the hallway. Ninja's were notoriously fast healers, some more than others, and Iurka was in the upper quartile. He smiled good naturedly at the few nurses he passed and continued on his self appointed morning exercise.

A few of the nurses, ones he recognized as the veterans, watched him with calculating expressions. Iruka nodded politely. If he tried to make a break for the door they would know. _Like a sixth sense. _That was fine. His goal was not escape from the anti-septic prison but something much more valuable. Information.

Most shinobi information gathering took place at night, as did infiltration as the cover of darkness was commonly considered a valuable ally. Iruka knew better. It was the early morning that a shinobi had his guard down with the haze of sleep and perhaps a changing of the watch. Iruka kept his eyes closed and a free hand on the wall. In his mind he counted down the steps to his goal.

Two more intersections, then a left as far as he could remember. His hand met air and he adjusted his estimations. _Left at the next intersection._ He continued hobbling, peaked his open his eyes and sent a short burst of chakra, before placing his hand back on the wall.

The chunin academy teacher came to the last intersection and turned, reaching into his pocket for the crushed paper cup his pills had come in. He could see the glowing form of a medic-nin exit his goal, holding a folder. The man turned, and jumped at the black and red eyes. "Ah, Iruka-sensei, you seem to be getting along nicely."

Iruka smiled and concentrated as the crumpled cup slipped down to the tips of his fingers. "Yes. I'm not as tired, a bit restless actually."

"That happens when you don't spend every waking moment manipulating your chakra!" The older man teased, glanced down at his folder, and looked back. Iruka had closed his eyes with his hands now empty but for the crutch.

"I was a bit hasty." Iruka admitted with a blush. "It was just that I felt so..."

The medic nodded in understanding. He reached forward and placed a hand on Iruka's head to do a quick diagnostic. "Well, your chakra coils are a bit taxed. Especially around the eyes but it's nothing I haven't seen before. You'll be fine if you keep up a light exercise, light! You're a teacher, Iruka. You should know this." He laughed and turned to leave with a quick good-bye.

Iruka strained his ears until he couldn't hear the medic's footsteps and moved to the door. He twisted the handle, noticing the light thud as his cup fell out of the latch and to the floor. His experience as a prankster served him well; he had managed to fit the paper cup into the latch before it locked enabling him to open it.

Iruka Umino slipped inside the records room and opened his eyes fully sending a series of quick chakra pulses around the room. _I guess the nice thing about this is I don't have to turn on the light. _He moved around the filing cabinets, not really sure what it was he was looking for. Opening one he peered down while the strain of chakra was beginning to hurt his eyes.

He needed to hurry. While sending out the pulses and getting back images was tiring, the control and amount need to see writing was quickly becoming dangerous.

Iruka's chakra vision collapsed when he saw a folder shoved in the back. _Kyuubi._ It had originally been labeled as Uzamaki, Naruto but had since been scratched out by an angry individual and replaced. _Kyuubi._ No one had bothered to correct it.

It was a large file, though most of it had been complied before Naruto entered the academy. Iruka doubted anyone would miss it as he shoved it into the back of his pants. He took a few minutes to rest before beginning the search again. He suddenly wanted to find Mizuki's file.

* * *

The aching soreness in his arms and shoulders was leaving, to the blonde demon containers contentment, but he still shot little glances at the wooden implement in his hands with some annoyance. Shadow clone Zabuza never gave his katana back, citing some ridiculous reason about learning how before he got a real weapon or some bull-shit like it. Naruto hadn't been paying much attention; instead focusing on the fact it was gone.

The puff of smoke from the replacement technique and the disappearance of the shadow clone _with his sword_ underlined that fact. But he would get it back, supposedly, and when he did he would be even more kick-ass with it. Of course if the man did not return his now favorite weapon Naruto would just have to figure out a way to retrieve his shiny.

Probably something that would involve liberal amounts of pudding. _Yes. I can stuff it down his pants. Then some firecrackers. Where could I get firecrackers? _Naruto chuckled as his plan to liberate his katana developed in his mind, should it come down to a pudding-firecracker-watermelon rescue.

He stabbed his practice thing -he wouldn't dignify it by calling it a sword, or any variation thereof- into the ground and walked toward his temporary home. If Kin was there she'd have something for him to eat, and he had seen movement through the drapes so he was hoping. His fingers had only brushed the door when a small hand covered his mouth and jerked him backward.

His heart raced as Naruto's lips peeled back and he made ready to bite his aggressor, when the fresh scent of pine hit his nose. It was weak, but after a moment he realized just who it was. Kin dragged him away from the door and into the woods. Her hair was wet and hung loosely around her from a recent wash.

Naruto thought it made her like a vampiress, the way her pale skin contrasted with it. She pointed up and the two of them climbed into the safety of the canopy. "It's a Mist Hunter-Nin." She whispered while looking through the leaves with caution.

"Hunter-nin?" Naruto asked, vaguely getting the idea that they must be like ANBU, only after his newest friends. He chewed on his lip and strained his neck to look into the small window. "Kyuu-chan and Usa-chan are still in there!"

"Hopefully that will work in our favor, Naruto-sama." As Haku had left in the early morning, and Zabuza neglected to return the hunter might leave quickly. "He may conclude that it's only the house of a small family, sheltering some strangers for the night, and move on."

"But what about Kyuu-chan?"

"I doubt he would be interested in a stuffed animal."

Naruto crossed his arms and sat on his haunches, wishing his ears were just a tiny bit better. Then he might have been able to hear what the intruder was doing. He had not forgotten the ANBU's threats to his plush, and the so called hunter-nin reminded him too much of them for comfort. Naruto decided they were to be avoided at all costs. After he got his things back.

"Wait, why would he be after Haku and Zabuza?"

"It's a long story, but I think we should find and warn them." She looked like she was about to say more when the door opened. Both tree borne youths went into stealth mode, such as it was, and watched silently as the hunter walked around the grounds once before taking off after an invisible trail. Kin wracked her brain and realized it was the one Haku had taken to town the day before. "Come on, we should get everything and then find Zabuza-san. We may need to make a quick exit."

Naruto was a bit curious of the warm surge in his stomach as his conscience whispered something about being predator and not prey. He glanced at his hands, remembering the blood that until recently he would have been hesitant to spill, and wondered why he could only feel sick anticipation.

He followed Kin into the small cabin and began throwing his things together, occasionally helping the girl pile culinary implements on a long rolled out scroll and watching them vanish into smoke. It was Haku's but Kin apparently learned how to use it. Brown eyes scanned the room unsatisfied but unable to do more. She held out her arms and the white snow rabbit in the corner hopped obediently into them. "I think that's it. Do you know where Zabuza-san would have gone?"

Naruto thought. "Somewhere he could go 'a-wenching'."

Kin blinked before blushing. The term was archaic but accurate. "Let's go."

* * *

Onna jerked on the drawer handle causing its contents to spill on the floor with the rest of the mess she had been making during her search. The Umino's small apartment had revealed nothing besides future lesson plans and, occasionally, a jounin level scroll that had seen better days. While unusual for an academy teacher it was not a crime. The logical conclusion she could make was that they were either left over from a time when the chunin had considered trying for jounin or he had been looking at specific techniques to help a student specialize.

If she was the type to bet Onna would have gone with the latter. Her lips pressed together in a small show of frustration as she practically turned a dead man's house upside down searching for something that would incriminate him. So far he had just as much miscellaneous school related things as the Umino, if not more.

_What are we missing?_

Mizuki had not possessed many friends when he had been among the living, though many people could remember the light haired academy instructor. Several of those people commented on how he had been 'cursed'. On almost every mission out of Fire, someone died. On the rare occasions that the body was able to be recovered the obvious cause of death, was not.

Growing more annoyed with the puzzle, Onna thumbed open an old folder and began skimming over the pages. Why would someone keep so many old notes? Why would they need the information on a student six years out of the academy?

The answer crept up on the woman like an unwelcome relative. It was the same reason she kept pictures from her genin days, despite not having any attachment to them. The same reason her closet was filled with colorful casual dresses that didn't appeal to her. _He wanted to appear normal. _

It should have been the first thing she thought of, being a shinobi and all. Onna glanced back as the mess of things on the floor and nudged it with a boot. The collection of scrolls, notebooks, bits-and-bobs seemed so much more dangerous.

A smile wormed it's way onto her face, the one that only saw the interior of the torture chambers of late. She had a new subject, one that kept his secrets locked away better than the toughest enemy ninja. Dead men tell no tales, but their relics _do._

Onna kicked a space clean on the floor and reached out to pick a sheet of paper. There were clues hidden about, something would have to trigger his memory to remind him of his plots. The short haired woman held the paper to a window, pleased as a pattern emerged highlighting certain sections of words. The record of a students progress was, infact, a message. What little joy collected in her eyes vanished as she finished reading it.

Konoha was contaminated.

Onna glared coolly at the rest of the objects and stood. She would need to go through them all, but first she needed a new notebook.

She couldn't begin to guess how far the contamination spread.

* * *

Konoha existed in a gigantic forest created by the first Hokage, or so history claimed. The sole female on team seven knew this and if not hated, disliked the Shodaime with a passion that only her inner self could claim. Not many of her peers knew that the main reason for Konoha's humidity lay with the giant trees. _This is sooo gross._ Sakura wiped the sweat from her forehead as she took a break beneath a hated tree.

Her teammates were busy picking up litter from around the river. Sai was just as emotionless as always, his pleasant if weird smile plastered on his face as he placed a can in his trash bag. Her love and future husband preferred to wade in the river and stab at trash with the pokey-stick as it floated by. For sure, that way was marginally more interesting.

Sakura moaned in disgust as a drop of dew fell from a leaf above her and landed on her arm. Trees, basically plants in general, trapped water and if they had too much would re-release it. Hence the perpetual humidity in the woods. "And the rain doesn't help... why can't we get a good drought?"

"What was that, Sakura?" Kakashi asked as he lounged on a branch a few tree's over, his perverted book open.

Sakura hypothesized that he didn't actually read it, and simply stared at the pictures. Her angry side sneered and claimed that he in fact couldn't read and pretended in order to save face. "Nothing, sensei." She claimed and pushed off the ground. Who knew D-rank missions could be so miserable? _They don't have to be..._Inner Sakura crooned.

Wading into the icy water shocked her into a better mood. Cold wet was better than hot wet in her modest opinion. "Ne, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke grunted and scooped up a cardboard cup. He didn't turn to see her but shook his head causing a few droplets of sweat to fly. Sakura saw it as incredibly sexy. She pressed forward giving thanks that her sandals were designed for gripping on slick surfaces. She reached out and tugged the Uchiha's shirt, hopeful. "What?"

His tone was annoyed. Maybe it was just the heat? It had certainly gotten _her_ irritable. "After we complete the mission, would you like to go eat with me, Sasuke-kun?"

"Not really."

The reply had been instant, without a moments hesitation to symbolize thought. Sakura's face went red as her world dimmed. _Rejected again! Why doesn't he want to spend time with me?! Our love must not be denied!_

"O-okay. Maybe tomorrow. You must already have plans." The girl called with false cheerfulness and backed up, absently collecting a plastic spork caught between moss covered rocks. Her feet sloshed with water as she climbed out onto the bank, upset. Seeking comfort from the other genin on her team, Sakura slowly made her way over.

It would have been nice to have another female to talk to and rant on, or someone to hit and release her frustrations, but neither was available. Sakura speared a candy bar wrapper with more force than necessary, her face scrunched up as her logic fought with her emotions. Ego and SuperEgo were getting a work out.

"Ah, Sakura-san. Did you injure yourself?" Came the cool whisper of Sai as he took notice of his new partner. He had been keeping tabs on the others covertly but felt that they were close enough he could mention it without being to obvious.

Green eyes glanced up blinking away half formed tears. "No. No, I'm fine." She whispered back reassuringly and attempted a smile. It looked exactly as Sai's did.

The pale boy's gaze whipped over to their lazy sensei meaningfully. "Are you sure, Sakura-san? You may confide in me, if you desire. I shall not spread your worries." _At least not to anyone you know about._

Sakura lowered her head and dug a partially buried can tab out of the ground. She shot her eyes to Kakashi, knowing how he would just brush everything off to the side and make her feel stupid. Most grown-ups did that. _He's not a girl but..._ _Sai is pretty nice. _Her false smile faded. Inner Sakura cheered, not at all disturbed by the prospect of starting a new relationship with the slim but oh-so-sexy artist. "It's just that, I've always kinda had a crush on Sasuke-kun."

Sai nodded as his books told him to. _When a girl is speaking it is best to nod and smile. _The girls comments recalled to him Danzo-sama's orders. _Encourage it's spread._ The kunoichi was willing. He just had to find how to turn the Uchiha on to the idea.

"I just don't know what I'm doing wrong." Sakura continued whispering. Her hands went up in defeat. "Sasuke-kun has never been mean about it, but he never wants to do anything with me. I had thought after..." She sighed and looked around for more trash; her mood lifted somewhat with the confession.

She wasn't expecting the carefully crafted reply. "It seems to me, from what I've heard, Sasuke-san is not like most boys."

"I know! That's what makes him so... so..." Sakura giggled. Inner was beginning to put together the theory that Sai might possibly be bi. Sakura nearly got a nosebleed before pinching the bridge of it taking a deep breath. Fantasies of three ways were not conductive to health during a mission.

Sai was twisting his trash bag closed and securing it with a small wire. "What you think would work on other boys will not help with Sasuke-san. He does not strike me as the romantic type."

"Got that right." Sakura mumbled, staring into her own bag. It was only three-fourths filled at best.

"Sasuke seems to value strength and training more than looks and food." Sai whispered directly into her ear as he walked over to where their masked jounin was reading to turn in his sack.

It was as if a brush fire had been set off in the intellectually strong kunoichi. _Of course!_ Inner Sakura shouted in triumph and pumped her fists. _Sasuke-kun's goals... obliterating someone... he would need to train. _She looked at her hands and turned them, examining them from every angle. Not a single blister or callous. Perfectly smooth and pretty.

Not the hands of someone who trained much, if at all.

She glanced at Sasuke who was trudging back to land, sack dripping over one shoulder. _He looks so capable and confident. So cool._ Sakura was blushing again. She lifted her unfilled sack and hit the bottom starting it spinning close. With Sai and Sasuke turning in the mission was over. With recent depressing thoughts packed away in a corner the Haruno turned to congratulate her love on a job well done.

Sasuke spun violently on his heel, a kunai launching from his left hand. Sakura gasped as the weapon flashed through the air and pinned a large trout to a tree across the river. Sasuke grunted. "Damn trout's been poking it's head out from under that log all day."

Sakura felt very small as Kakashi admonished Sasuke for killing a creature that didn't deserve it, while asking if the Uchiha intended to waste the meal. The girl's green eyes were mesmerized by the still flopping body of the fish as it struggled against fate, and the kunai. _That was amazing. I've always thought I had good aim, but I never... I never would have been able to turn and hit just by hearing it break the water._

Slowly she dragged her gaze from the fish as Sasuke stared down their sensei and went to retrieve the fish and kunai. She looked at her hands again, Sai's comment driving deep into her psyche like a seed.

"Sasuke-kun wants a strong girl."

"Hey! Pinky! We're going!" Kakashi shouted, breaking into the young girls thoughts.

She blinked and wrapped her fingers around the trash sack, "Coming, sensei!"

Anger seethed in her stomach as the fragile line separating Sakura Haruno's two personalities began to blur. _Damn it! He's supposed to be our jounin instructor! Why doesn't he ever help us train, or teach a new jutsu? All we do are these stupid boring-ass chores the civilians are too lazy to do themselves._

Sakura was glaring at the cheerful jounin's back, his book nestled in his back pocket as he lead them back to the village. "I fucking hate him." She groused unconsciously.

Next to her, Sasuke held his trash bags with one hand and the dead fish in the other. He barely detected her muttered words but nodded his agreement all the same. Sai, ever watchful of his fellow genin, noticed.

* * *

Zabuza was paying his tab when Kin entered the establishment wearing her poker face. Naruto followed behind her, eyes bright and curious as he took in the atmosphere. Kyuu was held in his arms, and the look he presented got several snickers from the testosterone oriented figures and coos from the estrogen ones. Kin was working her way around the bar trying not to appear obvious in her intent.

To an outsider it looked like a brother and sister just stopping in to deliver a message or get a drink.

"Ah." Kin stopped at the bar next to Zabuza while he nursed his last drink. She pulled out two stools and sat down, the blonde boy hopping up next to her. Both were looking at the large man curiously.

"Haku thought we should get something new." He answered the unspoken question with amusement.

Naruto made a noise of approval, though if it was toward the new outfit or the sudden drink the smiling waitress offered him was unknown. "It looks good." Kin offered, truthfully. A tight sleeveless turtleneck showed off the man's pecs and abs tastefully, while the blue and black jacket gave the suggestion of modesty. The familiar pattern of chain mail ran throughout the jacket for added protection. Kin noted the multiple pockets and straps on his pants, perfectly sized for the thrice-damned scrolls.

She envied and hated them at the same time, slightly jealous she didn't get into town to buy a new wardrobe before the Hunter-nin appeared. Naruto-sama needed new things too.

"A Hunter showed up at the cottage." Kin muttered casually leaning on the bar top.

The only sign he heard her was a slight tensing of the jaw. _Fucking Mizukage. _"How's Haku?"

"He's too pretty for his own good."

"He can take care of himself. When do the gates close?"

"Soon." The genjutsu user waved away a drink, compliments of the one-eye in the corner, and touched Naruto's shoulder. The demon container thanked the waitress for the free milk and hopped down to follow his 'sister' out.

Zabuza followed them shortly after. His two companions moved into step with him as he passed an alley. "Ne, Zabuza-san, where's my katana?"

"Safe. Haku should arrive soon," he spoke to the girl. "They're following him?"

"I think so. It was his trail he went after."

"There was only one, Haku can handle himself against that. He'll meet up with us later, we have a lead on a good job." Kin accepted the offered paper with a small amount of hesitation.

Naruto looked at them with a frown. "We aren't helping Haku-kun?"

"No. He suspected he was being followed, but thought it was a stalker." _As odd as it is I'm relieved it's not._ "This has happened before, he'll do better alone."

Kin tucked the paper away and began putting her hair up to keep it out of the way. The hunter was more trouble than he was worth. His sudden presence forced her to cut short her bath. "Why are we taking another job? I thought you had enough money, once the jewelry is pawned."

Zabuza's smile was eerie without the bandages to conceal his teeth. "This isn't for the money. If we complete it, he'll owe us. It's always good to have a noble in your debt."

* * *

Haku stepped off the path and turned, face expressionless. "How long have you been following me?"

"Since Mikado Village." There was pleasure in the voice. He was pleased to have finally cornered his prey, and it brought up dark memories in the boy. "Haku. Apprentice to the A-rank rouge jounin Momochi Zabuza. Your bloodline is of some interest to the Mizukage, you can be taken alive."

_Can. Not required. _"I am sorry to disappoint, hunter-san."

The voice now held a sneering quality. "You do realize he doesn't care about you? Take me to him and we'll all be better off."

Haku could make out the red markings unique to the village hidden in the Mist. The man was an enigma hidden under robes and masks, even his weapon of choice of an unknown. Surprise and concealment would not help him. "You have made two mistakes, hunter-san."

"Oh?" Sensing he wouldn't get out easy with the boy, the hunter shifted and prepared to fight.

"I am Zabuza-sama's tool. Only his. Your first mistake was thinking I would change sides." Haku's fingers twitched as senbon formed. "Your second mistake, was forgetting that you yourself trained me."

"I think I would remember that."

Haku reached into his kimono revealing the mask he kept close at all times. "I meant the hunter division as a whole." In a blink the mask was in place, and his senbon flying. The hunter deflected them and responded with a volley of kunai. Haku charged chakra into his legs and closed the distance, one of his senbon locking with a hastily drawn ninja-to.

Only one life would leave the clearing.

* * *

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

Two spandex clad ninja's cried out in joy at each other in such a way that those not immune would be drawn into the spectacle as hypnotic suggestion formed a sunset in the background. Though not confirmed Tenten was willing to bet that despite medical claims Rock Lee did in fact have the ability to channel chakra, it was merely locked away for all but specific uses. Like genjutsu. There was no way the sunset appeared on it's own, and Gai wasn't proficient enough in the illusion arts to make such a detailed picture.

Seriously, if she squinted she could see a group of dolphins frolicking.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee, I'm so proud of you for mastering this oh-so-difficult technique. You are truly a genius of hard work!" The two males finally reached each other in tears. The hug would have been cute, if it wasn't so creepy. Tenten forced her gaze from her sensei and teammate to look at a large hole in the ground, testament to Lee's mastery of a high level taijutsu technique.

She walked over to the hole to inspect it, trying to glean some clue that would aid in her own attempts at the Omote Renge. Lee being the taijutsu specialist of their team (excluding Gai-sensei!) it made sense that he would figure it out first.

"Lee! I must stress, now that you know it, to never use this technique except under one condition!" Gai proclaimed, tears still streaming down his cheeks. The fire in Lee's eyes grew from the passion exhibited by their sensei while Tenten and Neji shared a look of annoyance.

"What is this condition Gai-sensei?!"

"That you only use this technique, in defense of someone you care deeply about!"

Tenten groaned, _typical sensei._ Neji's mouth quirked to betray his own feelings despite the Hyuuga shell of indifference. Gai looked up after Lee gave him assurance that he wouldn't turnip plant anyone, and seemed to take in his two other pupil's disheveled appearance. The brunette worked the spit around in her mouth and swallowed while trying to tune out her strained muscles. "Sen-"

"Ah! Neji! Tenten! It is clear that though your fires are far from banked, you should rest and rejuvenate! We will be resuming missions shortly, and it would be advisable that you be prepared for them! In celebration of Lee's success we shall drink, and then tomorrow, work!" Gai finished with a smile, a twinkling smile. Neji made some sort of affirmative noise in the back of his throat and walked off, presumably to clean up for the night's party. Tenten stared at her teacher as he took off to do a cool down twenty laps of Konoha.

She was annoyed, and bit her bottom lip as she looked from the hole in the ground to the rapidly disappearing backs of her team. _What about us?_ Though more proficient with weapons, the girl had certainly found the technique interesting. She had _wanted _to learn it. Neji hadn't seemed to care for it, but he had his jyuuken, and only tried as Gai watched them practice. Tenten had been trying her hardest but quickly realized she didn't yet have the sheer muscle to use it in battle against someone, but at least she could have practiced the motions until then. Right?

_What about me?_

Neji had a family style to fall back on, and he was truly talented. A genius. He didn't want the help. Lee had enthusiasm and idolized their sensei. He worked himself to the bone, sometimes quite literally, and so she couldn't begrudge the fact Gai-sensei sometimes spent a little more time with him. Lee needed it, not being able to channel chakra normally.

_But what about me?!_ Tenten resisted the urge to stomp her feet like a little kid. She was more mature than that; she was kunoichi. Stiffly, the girl walked away from the field and over to a set a training logs. Everything ached from earlier, and it seemed all of _her_ hard work was for nothing. It was obvious that since Lee had already mastered the omote renge they wouldn't spend anymore time on it.

Tenten flicked open a storage scroll, oblivious to the small tears gathered in her eyes. It was too dangerous to practice the taijutsu technique on her own, and so she was certain she'd never get it. There was only one thing she could really practice alone.

Something twitched painfully as she her arm swept back again, reaching for a sickle, and she cursed immediately dropping the weapon. Tenten rubbed at her shoulder, slowly working her way down her arm, and watched as a muscle in her calve spasmed.

_What about me?_

She suddenly didn't feel like going to the celebration, instead favoring the idea of throwing her weapons till she could see the real sun set over the tree tops.

* * *

"Shovel." A rare, around Konoha at least, squirrel called out as they watched the human female toss different types of teeth at the wooden posts. Most of them were hitting.

"Needles." A more common breed of the bushy tailed tree rat replied. Next to them a raccoon, a young one that had been born in the city, corrected them with a yawn.

"Bo shuriken."

The three furred mammals were enjoying the silence since the pale-eyed human had scared their feathered companions off. The silly birds had gotten it into their heads that they were being watched and took to the sky screaming. While the squirrels and raccoon and felt something similar, they didn't jump as it wasn't bearing down on them. "Oh! I don't recognize that." The rare flying squirrel muttered.

"It's a, let me think, Kusa... Kusarigama?" The unnamed raccoon offered. She was only present because she was bored, not to mention young and foolish as her mother had said. Why ruin a perfectly good set up with the humans? They eat some food, they throw it out, we eat the food. "It's just like the little harvest tooth that they use just with the rock and chain."

"Aaaaahhh." The brown squirrel began climbing down, showing off the recklessness the species was known for. "Can we, maybe, maybe, do the hole thing?"

The lighter squirrel remained in the tree, not liking the idea of exposing itself in unfamiliar terrain. "No, no, nononono." The flipping alone had looked idiotic to the flying squirrel, a master at gliding and maneuvering in the air. "Too dangerous." _The only way I gonna try that is with teaching, and no fire-breather is going to do that for us._

* * *

"We're stopping here tonight, Kotaro-san." An aged merchant with liver spots under his eyes called to his guest, the infamous Kotaro Suzuhara, puppet maker extraordinaire and escape artist. His name was something of a legend in the right circles, like Lady Tsunade the Legendary Sucker. Unlike the notoriously in-debt gambler he had no title; simply mentioning _that_ Kotaro-san and any traveling merchant knew who it was.

"Ah? Isn't it a bit early to turn in?" Kotaro asked curiously, head whipping around to check for unwanted visitors. He had meet up with the caravan going to Tea country shortly after leaving Suna and quickly talked his way into their good graces. Not to mention most merchants found amusement in thumbing their nose at the Kazekage. If there wasn't so much money to be had the merchants would gladly skip over the dessert city. "There hasn't been any trouble?"

"No, no trouble. Your 'I'm just a box' routine was perfect, the border guards didn't suspect a thing."

"Soooo, why are we stopping so soon?" The puppet maker hopped off the wagon and breathed deep. No damn sand. Just the refreshing clean air of Fire country, named so for the dry summers and plentiful wood to make fires. Not to mention the lovely hot springs.

The old merchant climbed down and handed his reigns to a boy as he cracked his back. "Just a bit of superstition, you see. A few years back they say a great nine tailed demon fox was sighted in Fire, I don't know if it's true or not but they say the shinobi population gets real touchy whenever kitsune are mentioned."

_Sounds like a cover-up._ _But, Kotaro old boy, it's none of your business. Suna's got it's own demon problems. _"Interesting, but what does this have to do with the early stop?" He asked and grabbed his bedroll from the wagon as the horses were led away.

The merchant pulled a pipe from his sleeve and lit up, pausing to observe the efficiency of his people as they set camp. Several mercenaries left for a quick patrol. "Demon's can't be killed, Kotaro-san. Disembodied, maybe, but not killed." Someone started a fire. "Night has always been the time when spirits are at their strongest."

Kotaro remembered all the rumors surrounding the Kazekage's youngest. He was at his most hostile at night, especially on full moons. Only the quick or the dead ventured out at those hours. _Gaara..._"You suspect something?" _This is too heavy for me. Too bad Ji-ji doesn't keep any young girls in his entourage._

Ji-ji smiled, though his eyes betrayed him. "I'm just an old trader, Kotaro-san. What would I know about the affairs of shinobi? But you _are_ headed to Konoha?"

"Got a request to make a leg."

"Of course."

"Ji-ji!" The boy who took the horses returned running. His eyes were bright as he brushed dust of his clothes. "I heard you talking about Kyuubi-sama? Are you telling stories again?"

"And if I was?"

A strong woman, Kotaro would guess she was in her early thirties, turned towards them. She held a spoon dripping with water and bits of rice. "What's this I hear about Ji-ji-sama telling stories? You're turning into an old man, grandfather!"

"Silence! That is blasphemy!"

The mercenaries returned and gave a quick report to the wrinkled merchant. Ji-ji nodded and motioned for everyone to head towards the bubbling pots. One of the mercenaries had brought back some sort of bear and the meat was roasting over a second fire.

"Oh, tell us, Ji-ji-sama!" A hired man called as he stuffed his face. Slowly the old man gave in. What was it with kids? Never wanted to sit still when a story was told but demanding it when the speaker wasn't.

Ji-ji tapped out his pipe and stored it to take a plate from the woman. Kotaro found a seat near the rice pot for easy access to seconds.

"They're exists a being some say is older than time. I myself think that's total bull-"

"Get on with it!"

"Silence, Val, or I'll have you sleeping on the dirt! As I was saying, this very old being is also very strong. A single swing of it's tail could bring down a mountain or form a tsunami. It is a creature of ancient myth, with the form of a nine tailed fox! Some say it is a demon, a few claim it is a god, but all fear it." A shadow fell across the old man's face. "To anger that creature is to bring it's wrath, and though it may not be immediate it will always come. Once, a nation angered it, and now all that's left of them is a small island. That nation... was Wave."

Several people sucked in breaths at the news. Ji-ji had been from the small country, and they all knew the current situation was the reason the merchant had not returned. As if he didn't hear them Ji-ji continued. "They say the fox will not return until shinobi are accepted by the people, and when it does it will either destroy Wave entirely or forgive them."

* * *

Stupid and childish, maybe, but Kengi liked to think of it as in tune with himself in the universe. Currently his childish side was screaming at him to _get the f-word out!!_ "Why are we doing this again, Eiki?" He asked his friend and leader.

"For the money of course! How often do you think we'll get an opportunity like this? Imagine! All we got to do is find some stupid scroll and we'll be able to get out of our shit-hole of a village." Eiki replied as he kicked at an old abandoned glass bottle. Said bottle rolled along the cold grass for a few feet while Kengi followed it with his eyes.

His skin was getting goose bumps as they walked though the streets of the defunct town. Grass had reclaimed most of the streets and shrubs grew wildly out of their gardens. A bleach white stone reflected moonlight, but it only took a few seconds for the nervous teen to recognize it for what it really was. Bone.

He reached out to his friend who was peering into a window. "Y-yeah. I know, but couldn't we come back in the morning?"

"Kengi, Kengi, Kengi... you know what would happen if we did that? We would be questioned, the others that are after the goods would want to 'help us' and then get part of the take. No. It's much better just me and you." He pulled his head out of the window. "Nothing in there. Guess it was a storage shed."

"I wouldn't mind."

"That's your problem! You're too used to letting people tell you what to do! Gotta take charge! Take things into your own hands!" Eiki shouted, annoyed. The two of them had been trying to get enough money for a trip to the capital for months and then this deal comes along but Kengi's too scared of the dark to go through with it. Eiki snorted. "I'm going down to that field we saw earlier. There was some structures behind it. Keep looking around here."

Kengi just grunted, wide eyes moving from shadow to shadow. He could have sworn he heard something like laughter. _Grams used to tell all sorts of bad stories about this place._ The fog rolling in didn't help his nervous state any.

_There! I know I heard something!_ Kengi turned to an alley and walked around debris from a collapsed wall. There was a rustling, almost like cloth. There was cool breath on the back of his neck. His heart skipped a beat. "T-this isn't funny, Eiki."

"I'm sorry. Eiki isn't here right now. He's entertaining the old man." Smooth. Like silk.

He wanted to turn around and question the voice, but it sent shivers up his spine and the part of him that had always been more aware screamed at him not to. If he did, he would die. Whoever it was wanted to play with him. They would stop playing if he saw who -or what- they were. "W-what happened t-to Eiki?"

The voice was amused. "I don't know, yet. The old man hasn't had anything to feed his plants in soooo long. Your friend is probably helping him."

Kengi would have asked more, desperate to buy time, when a high pitched scream echoed through the town. The scream turned to a whine and started up again with requests for help. Eiki was sorry, Eiki didn't mean it, and _please_ for the love of god would Kengi help him.

Kengi couldn't move. He was too scared and his senses were screaming too many different things at him.

From behind, icy fingertips reached toward him. "Welcome, Kengi, to the Town of Shikyo."

The town of death.

Somehow he started running, but he doubted it was fast enough.

END.


	12. Shop

**Four Letter Words**

**Summary- Iruka has discovered some unsettling news about his favorite student's treatment, while a former student bemoans her apparent unimportance to her team. Sakura gains a new perspective on life. Kotaro arrives in Fire Country while Naruto and his companions head to their next job dodging hunter-nin along the way!**

**A/N- This chapter was an exercise in perseverance. It marks the end of 'plot set up', for this arch anyway. Lots of random stuff happens, not as 'dramatic' as other chapters. To make for this, there is an extra's section! So read on my lovely people! Read!**

**Chapter Twelve: Shop**

Like most ninja villages, Sound tended to randomize its patrol patterns. This was as much out of practicality as a way to reduce boredom. Established principle said that any routine, no matter how 'tight', could be studied and countered. Spies would find the second long gaps in guard and use individual personalities to their advantage and break through.

Following this prescribed belief a group of seven sound shinobi were returning from their posts, but in a round-about way so as to give the illusion had there been any watchers that they were simply checking for enemy infringement. Their clothing was nearly uniform in its cool gray camouflage pattern, an excellent choice for the water-logged land. They alternatively leapt from dead oak to ground, spreading apart and reuniting, while communicating with simple hand signs or bobs of the head.

They were headed home after three weeks on the border giving and receiving harassment from groups of bandits and passing ninja. While it would have been child's play to demolish the bandit camps in their neighboring country, where would they then get entertainment on the long, boring, assignments?

"Leader, do you smell that?" One of the ninja asked in mid-hop. His face was concealed by a mask that covered everything but a strip around his eyes. All the members of their group wore the mask making them harder to distinguish to outsiders.

The apparent leader, a jounin level sound nin, rubbed at his mask where his nose should be and nodded. There was a faint underscore of smoke in the area, and when they concentrated they could hear the bickering of scavenger birds. With an almost unnoticed gesture of his fingers the group swerved toward the new factor.

"This place isn't marked for development, is it?" The higher pitched voice gave the owner away as female.

"Not so far as I know."

The seven branched out and closed in on the questionable area. Someone gagged, another laughed tiredly. Two bodies lay in the torn up clearing, both partially eaten by the wildlife. The jounin of the group whistled and hopped down to investigate. "Well lookie here." He nudged a half burned mask with his foot causing the carrion birds to squawk and scatter. "Got to be a hunter-nin of some sort. Material?"

The others joined him, one held up the whole mask from the non burned body. "Animal styling; I'd say ANBU from Konoha."

"What the hell were they doing in our territory?!" The anger was thick.

"More important," the female sneered. "How did they get through without us knowing?"

"I think that hardly matters now. Whatever they were after obviously killed them."

"There could be more." The unknown chunin's eyes shifted to the side. Their leader made a mental note to give him some time off, the constant missions were having a detrimental effect on his reasoning. Though the man's fighting skills were superb his social and analytical were taking a nosedive.

"Unlikely." Leader explained as he took the masks. "Konoha's known for being sentimental. They would have brought their comrades bodies back if they could. I'd say it was just the two of them and they bit off more than they could chew."

A snort. "I still want to know what they were doing here without informing us."

"Doesn't matter at this point… though I am curious as to who killed them. Number two, five, carry the bodies."

"Why? We aren't returning them are we? It's there fault they're here!" One of the ninja did not like the idea of a decomposing corpse riding his back all the way home.

The leader clapped the ANBU masks together. "No, we aren't obligated to return the bodies." He grinned. "But we will be sending back these!" He raised the masks. "Won't it be fun to have the leaf's worrying over it, wondering if it was us or the target that killed their elite nin?"

The rest of the sound shinobi laughed and resumed their travel to Otokagure; waiting to spread the new gossip of the dead foreign shinobi.

* * *

Mountain country, named in part by it's proximity to the rocky cliffs and valleys of Lightning, is a small nation characterized by rocky soil and occasional rivers. It's economy base was trading, and it imported most of it's food. Mountain tended to see all sorts of travelers from minor nobles looking for good sculptors to hire to rouge shinobi licking their wounds. Anything and everything could be purchased in the small country if you knew where to go. It was the best place to go when one needed to do some under-the-table dealing.

Kin walked down the streets of Mountain Country's main trading hub confidently, though her head was angled down in thought. Half the night had been spent on the road traveling and Haku had not caught up with them till late morning. The usually calm shinobi had been repeatedly polishing his senbon even though any traces of blood were long gone.

_If I was a pawn shop, where would I be?_ Zabuza left after checking them into a hotel with orders exchange their portion of the goods for cash. In the trading city they were in it should have been simple, but a respectable shop was becoming increasingly difficult to find. _I should have stayed with Naruto-sama and Haku. I need some new clothes, too. _The effeminate shinobi had practically squealed in joy at the sight of a specialty clothing shop and dragged the blonde into it.

The girl came to a small water way, one of the many that fed the main river running through the city, and cleared it with little effort. Bridges are for sissy's. "Excuse me, miss?"

An elderly woman with her hair in a bun turned, glasses glinting in the light. "Yes, dear? Can I help you?"

"Could you direct me to the nearest antique shop?" Kin lied through her teeth. She didn't want old junk, didn't need it, but more often than not antique dealers would buy and sell. They also tended to know where a good pawn would be. If she could sell her goods, then she would have the cash needed to purchase more supplies of her own. _I need new kunai and scrolls._

The old woman smiled; her teeth were sickly yellow. Kin wanted to gag. "So good to see young folk taking an interest in these things. Just down the lane..." The kunoichi memorized the directions and hurried off. She had a sneaking suspicion that the old woman was going to try and trick her into lunch or something.

Around the town people tended stalls and sold any number of interesting knick-knacks; Kin swore she saw what looked like a pair of stone butterflies. The country of mountain bordered Lightning and did frequent business with the shinobi of Cloud, mainly guarding and escort. Kin saw a group of what she assumed to be genin roof-hopping with their sensei in the lead. Her insides clenched as an unidentified emotion bubbled up.

To distract herself Kin ducked into a shady building, though this was more from the light bulb being out than anything else. "Welcome, miss customer. Are you looking for anything in particular?" The manager said with a smile.

Kin ran a hand through her hair and slowly went around the shop. Surprisingly there was a good quality spear on one of the walls, but it didn't interest her. A clay pot contained several wall scrolls of old paintings and a bookshelf sagged dangerously to the side. She finished her circuit and leaned onto the glass counter. "You do appraisal and purchase, don't you?"

He nodded, smile still in place. It was annoying and false; Kin suddenly got the brainstorm of the man laughing evilly and rubbing his hands together saying 'it's mine! all mine!' "Of course. We would be happy to take a look at your..."

Kin took a scroll from her pocket and snapped it open. The soft parchment rolled along the glass display and within seconds several necklaces, pins, bracelets, and statues littered the counter. Greedy eyes sparkled as he picked up a small fish figurine and rolled it in his hands. "A very interesting piece, silver and gold plating. Wonderful. See this button here-" He pressed in the fish's eye with finger nail causing the head to shift back and reveal a hallow. "used to store a small amount of poison, perhaps?"

The girl shrugged, the action hiding her misgivings. "I was given a minimum price to bring it back for, how much are you willing to give me for it, all?" Kin waved off a gnat that decided to explore her eyes. She wanted to get it over with and collect their money. There was shopping to do! So many new things to explore in the city and they had all day to do it, but that time was quickly ticking away.

"Well now, that is the question, hmmm? I feel a bit bad about saying this to such a pretty girl as yourself," Kin's eyebrow twitched at that comment. "but I can't really pass up the opportunity. You see I pointed out this beauty because I recognize it."

He waved the fish effigy in the air and set it down, a knowing smile on his face. The glass she leaned against felt cold, and Kin's heart leapt up to her throat. _What does he know?_ Zabuza and Haku were missing-nin. If he called the authorities the cloud shinobi would be flocking to take them down in seconds!

Kin's hands slipped down to her thigh, one finger lightly touching the metal ring of a kunai. The weasel continued his speech about profit, how it was nothing personal, and that he would like to keep things civilized. The girls lips twitched as the handle slip soundlessly into her hand. For the moment, Kin was every bit the ruthless Sound shinobi Orochimaru had them to be. Kin had never been very good at negotiation.

Blood leaked over her fingers and stained the scroll as it dripped off of her hands. She breathed deep and released her hold on the kunai she'd sent up through the man's lower jaw and into his brain. As a civilian with no formal training he had no hope against her, his only card a sense of superiority that had no real foundation. The girl hopped over the counter and began turning out his pockets only to find a few spare ryo and a carton of tobacco.

She stayed clear of the small pool of blood forming around his head like a red halo and belatedly rushed to the storefront to turn the sign to closed. That done she returned to the back and began tapping her knuckled against the walls searching for the safe. Her one responsibility on the team was to basically be their thief and seal expert. Break barriers and whatnot. _Might as well get some practice._

The safe was concealed rather amateurishly behind a large painting, and if the door was any indication of the size, Kin estimated it would fit a body. The girl stretched her arms and popped her knuckles. "Time to earn our pay, Kin-chan." She spun the dial and let it revolve once. It wasn't near as complicated as the warehouse safe. She looked back at the cooling corpse behind the counter and snorted. _Cheap bastard. _Absently as the lock gave a loud click she began humming a song from a play seen before her internment into shinobi-hood. The action both calmed her aggravated nerves and focused her mind on the job. "Hmm. Hmm. Hm. I have sailed the world, beheld it's wonders..."

* * *

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Naruto yelled as he ran around the large store, easily ducking under display tables and around racks. Several shoppers paused to stare at the half-dressed blonde boy as he avoided workers and his dark haired minder.

"Naruto-kun!" Haku was finding it difficult not to yell, his practiced serenity pushed to it's limits by Naruto's seemingly random outburst. The fitting had gone well, they had only just finished making the adjustments to the trousers, orange, and brought out the fabric for the robes. Haku already had a few formal robes set aside for banquets and the like as did Zabuza but Naruto did not. Missions sometimes required them to dress for a party and it wouldn't do to have the blonde left out.

With the daily wear out of the way Haku had the tailor bring out several different prints to see how they would look on the bored boy, but he had taken one look at the man and screamed. "Naruto-kun! Calm down!"

Naruto's eyes were flashing around, noticing he had been cornered again. Left and right were blocked by sweating tailor assistants, Haku was approaching down the main isle. He reached for his ninja pouch and smoke bombs only to discover that they weren't there. Blue eyes widened as he backed into a table. _No! My things are back in the fitting room! If I try to jump..._

"Now!"

Naruto fell forward as a pair of strong hands gripped his ankles and pulled. Haku, which soon revealed itself to be water clone, ran up and took hold of Naruto's wrists. The Haku twins fumbled with him as he struggled, exasperated. "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto wriggled but couldn't get enough leverage to escape. "Traitor..." He muttered but it lacked any real anger.

Haku, the real Haku, brought Naruto's hands behind his back so he could hold them with one hand. "What are you so upset about?" The ice user was annoyed, and though Naruto gave another attempt at escape, didn't appear to have as much fight in him. What was so bad about new clothes?

The head tailor approached with caution, and Naruto watched him with just as much. Haku noted that the pupils had elongated and didn't appear to be returning to normal. Clearly Naruto was still agitated though he wasn't about to try killing anyone. Yet. "He's got needles."

Everyone was flabbergasted. "What?"

"Neeedles!" With his hands immobilized Naruto could only gesture vaguely with his head. The tailor held up a hand, around his wrist was a cushioned strap of pins and sewing needles. "See! Needles!"

_I should have brought Kin with us. _"Those are for the fabric, Naruto-kun. He needs them to hold it in place while he does the fitting."

"But..." Naruto's eyes watered. Why couldn't people understand how much he didn't like the things? Senbon were okay, they were too big for him to think of as needles, but these were tiny! They would stab into him and burn and not come out. People would keep them inside and they would hurt. He looked at the older boy and spoke in a pleading tone. "I don't _like_ needles. Can't we do something _else?_"

Haku sighed and directed the boy to the back rooms. "You need robes, Naruto-kun. Anything less than tailor made will be seen as an insult."

Naruto grumbled as extra workers guarded the exit. He eyed the tailor, causing the man to sweat under the scrutiny, as a half-finished under robe was throne on him. Naruto was not pleased and he did not trust the man with the needles. _Needles..._ Hazy memories of his childhood surfaced and Naruto found himself in danger of hyperventilating. He couldn't give a real explanation, how was he supposed to explain his instincts? Needles were bad. Naruto was so caught up in his worrying he didn't notice the tailor sweep in with a pencil and make several small marks on the fabric. The tiny pins slipped in and out as Haku stood nearby. This was both an effort to calm the blonde and keep him from bolting.

"Just one more-" The man held the final pin's nub between his thumb and forefinger, but as he was removing it Naruto snapped back to the present and shivered causing the tip to cut into the soft flesh around Naruto's armpit. Naruto screeched and jumped backward into Haku's arms. The long haired boy wavered under the sudden weight, sighed, and straightened. "What's the damage?"

Naruto squirmed and buried his face in Haku's neck. Brown eyes inspected the flesh wound, which had already stopped bleeding and wasn't even as bad a paper cut. The tailor stuttered some apologies and stared at his fabric, confused. "Yue! Why are there holes in this?"

"Holes, sir?"

"Look! Almost looks as if some small bug has chewed through it. Go into the back and check the storage rooms." He turned back to his customers, hands open apologetically. "Terribly sorry about that young master. Luckily we should be able to use the measurements and pattern I took on the next bit. Terribly, terribly sorry."

Naruto glared. Haku moved him out of his 'bridal' style and used chakra to reinforce his strength so that the blonde could be supported with one hand. "May I see the damage?" He held out his hand while the tailor dithered for a moment torn between keeping his wealthy customer happy and the shame of trying to use a cloth of inferior quality. Noticing the ice users comical appearance with Naruto hanging off him, and his lack of reaction to it, he offered the pale fabric. Haku turned the cut cloth over to find the ruined area, thinking. _I looked at before we used it. It was perfect, and this looks more like the fibers dissolved than anything else. Such small holes. _

"Do you need anything, sir?" The tailor asked as he took back half finished robe.

"That will be all. Have the robes and extra outfits delivered to the hotel. Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"We're done here. Get dressed."

"No more fittings? No needles?"

"No needles."

"YES!" Naruto cheered and dislodged himself, ran to the small pile of his new clothes, dressed, and ran for the door. Haku watched and wondered where all the energy came from, not for the last time.

* * *

Donna had little difficulty navigating the packed mid-day streets as the townsfolk went about their day. She tucked her bulging purse closer to her side and directed the quite girl with her with a light touch on the arm; her eyes flashed warningly at a thug. As much as she loved her city it was amazing what went on unnoticed by visitors and the higher-ups. While most places waited for the cover of nightfall to start the disreputable work Takara got into the swing of things around noon.

The woman walking with her tried to melt into her as they passed a dicy character with dirt encrusted nails smelling of smoke, and she frowned in annoyance. Donna stepped up her pace and pulled down her skirt, one of her longer ones, and gave a polite nod to a clustered group of street walkers she knew. Later; the look said.

The made up women pursed their lips as they stared at Donna's companion but quickly resumed their survey of the crowds. To a native the girls were clearly open for business, short mini-skirts, heavy but natural make-up, and their stance all screamed _pay me. _An outsider, unless they hired a guide, would only see a group of girls with too much time on their hands dressed in skimpy clothing.

"It's not much farther." Donna told the woman, and mentally cursed as she noticed the limp developing. _Great. Of COURSE they'd screw up her feet, too._ The visibly irritated prostitute reached the borders of the slums and market and turned down a street. "She'll take care of you. Just got out of a bad scrape herself."

She had to wave off several other inquiring looks before they reached the picketed fence, glistening with fresh paint, and rapped the door of an old house. It took only a minute or two before the door opened, but instead of the expected smiling face of her friend she found an expressionless male. Her companion cringed and slunk behind her, she could fell the poor woman shivering against her like some animal. It only renewed her anger at the injustice done, and swore to herself she would find a way to get revenge.

"Is Leslie Fujiko available?" Donna asked behind a wall of indifference.

The man observed for a minute, eyes going up and down her body but not in a suggestive fashion. More like he was searching her, deciding if she was a threat or not. He lingered for a second on her purse and she took note of the sword at his waist. "The lady is in."

"We need to speak with her. Can I come in?"

"Of course." The samurai, for now that she could get a good look at him that was what he was, stepped aside and they entered. "This way."

They walked down the halls, surprising clean for being so close to the slums, into the kitchen. The familiar red head was washing her arms trying to get paint off. "Leslie-chan!"

The woman jumped and turned off the spout, smile blossoming. "Ah! Donna-chan, what brings you here? Who is your friend?" The last question was spoke with a hint of depression as the happy woman took in quivering girls cuts and bruises. Unspoken was the question 'what happened to her'?

Donna shook her head and accepted a cup of coco. "Dunno. Took one look at the poor thing and ripped her out of the hotel. I got her cleaned up, but, she hasn't spoken a word."

Leslie sighed and slowly reached out to the woman, "Would you like something to drink?"

Hesitation, a look to Donna reclining and sipping away, and she nodded. The blonde sat her cup down, face swimming a myriad of expressions. "Since you got this new place, Leslie-chan, I was wondering if you could put her up for a while. I can't really do it myself, and I while some of the girls would be willing she's not exactly comfortable around men."

"...I see. Samurai-san?" The man from before appeared in the doorway. "Could you show this woman to one of the guest rooms?" Leslie took clattering saucer and cup from the woman and set them down. She stared into her eyes. "Samurai-san is going to take you to your new room. He won't hurt you. He will not _touch_ you. Understand?"

She swallowed and glanced from samurai to lady. Leslie almost frowned as an idea occurred to her. _What if she doesn't speak out language? What if she's mute, or deaf?_ Leslie snapped her fingers to gain the poor woman's attention and gestured to the cup and saucer. She pointed to the samurai and then the cup, pointed to the woman and then the saucer. She separated them and put them on opposite sides of the table.

It took some time but between them the two veteran whores managed to get the beat up woman into a bed. They relaxed in a small cozy room. Donna breathed out a stream of smoke from a cigarette. "Tsuki was pissed."

"The gods decided it was time to leave... what were they doing to her?" Leslie asked, because there were hotels and then there were _hotels_. Those that only used the business as a front, and anything that required a cover had to be bad news. If you couldn't be honest about your work, especially in a town as loose as theirs, it wasn't worth it.

"I'm fuzzy on the details but, I went in their on a call, and on the way out I saw her cleaning the floor. One of her hands was chained to the bucket and... it just wasn't right. She won't talk." A shrug.

Leslie stewed in anger and took a sip of her coco. She loved the chocolate, but it wasn't doing it's job. She needed to get her mind off of things. "What's that in your purse?"

"Huh? Oh! I almost forgot. I keep meaning to give it to you." She snapped open the latch and fought to pull out a mutated turtle plushi. "I know it's ugly as sin but I was asked to give it to you."

Leslie ran her fingers over the soft material of the turtles skin, and marveled at the bits of real shell sew painstakingly into the back. "Wow. I never thought anyone would make a toy of this, and the quality is simply amazing." She looked up at her smoking friend. "Where did you get it?"

"You know what it is? I thought it was a joke."

Leslie shook her head and almost sneezed as her curls tickled her nose. "It's the sanbi, the legendary three tailed turtle lord of the seas."

"I don't know where you learn this shit."

"It's not shit, it's real." Leslie snarled uncharacteristically, at least it seemed that way to Donna. The girl had always been so quite and accepting, praying every morning. Like she believed that gods existed and watched over her if she asked. Squirmed at the idea of disappointing someone. The red head continued. "I have you know it was an angel that brought me out of Tsuki's. That's what I'm naming the place, when it's fixed up. Angels Blessing."

"You can't run a brothel with one person."

"I'm not. I got two others from Tsuki's to come with me, and a new girl from out of town jumped at the chance to be 'senior'." She laughed a bit, though the sharpness to her eyes remained as she stroked the ugly toy's head. "Apparently she didn't like working alone and the other places she went to annoyed her by giving too much preferential treatment to the senior ladies."

"Makes sense."

"There's a limit to everything."

The fell into a silence as Leslie went back to playing with the three tailed monstrosity of a plushy. It was far from cute. "Where did you get it, again?"

"That old man that used to have the street stall."

"The stall?" She clutched it to her ample chest, headless of the spikes that pressed against her skin. "This must be another sign from Naruto-sama! He's still watching me!" She squealed happily.

Donna sat back and snuffed out her cig in the ash tray. It was odd, but much more Leslie like than earlier. "I should be off."

"Alright. I'll walk you to the door."

"Are you going to do anything with that," _What did she call it?_ "Sanbi?"

Leslie looked down at the toy, an thoughtful look settling on her. "I'm, not sure. Perhaps... I have to get ready here, first."

Once again, Donna was filled with that sense of change. The knowing that things were happening and it sent her blood thrumming through her veins as she left the soon to be Angel's Blessing. Donna found herself grinning as she ran back to her apartment to change into her work clothes. Things were changing, and fast, if Leslie already had girls ready to work for her. _From what I saw in the hall's it's going to be a fancy place too. _

There was also something in the religious woman's eyes that hadn't been there before, and when it came out, gentle caring was replaced by fierce anger. _May you live in interesting times._

* * *

People walked around the market streets at a fast pace, and had there been many more Kin may not have seen them, but Naruto was hard to miss. The orange loving brat with spikes of brilliant gold stood out like a lighthouse on the beach at night, even more so when the brat was arguing with a vendor about the practicality of slugs. Kin slipped in beside Haku with a sharp exhale signaling her arrival. She turned her attention to Naruto's argument while keeping one eye on the small gathering forming around them.

Naruto was gesturing to a display showcasing key-chains of the three major summons, those of the famous sannin of the leaf. "Snakes are pretty cool, I'll admit that, and frogs can be too-"

"Toads! Jiraiya-sama summons toads!" The vendor moaned, evidently whatever logic he had been trying to use only got so far through to Naruto. Haku whispered how the exchange started, after cashing in their bit of the treasure at a money exchange the blonde insisted on doing a bit of tourism. He then stopped a young girl from purchasing a slug keychain, stating that it was anti-girl and stupid. The girl was long gone by the time Kin arrived as he mother had picked her up and dragged her away from the escalating argument.

"Frog, toad. It's all the same, one's just slimier than the other." Naruto paused as if something just occurred to him. "Following that, the same reason slugs suck as a summon would work for frogs too! They're too freaking…" Naruto mumbled to himself. "Porous! Thanks."

The crowd only had a second to ponder on who had received the thanks. Naruto plowed on, headless of the man future business or rumors his words would start. He had a point to make. "I don't know how many times I've dropped salt on the damn homeless things back home. They smell funny for a minute and then shrivel up! Dead. All you have to do is find a way to get the slugs near enough salt and BAM! Not to mention how much a fail they'd be in any real dry arena or the sea. Lot's of salt in the sea."

"Obviously it doesn't matter or the sannin wouldn't have made contracts with them!" Vendor man snapped, near tears. He could just see the figures he made from the sale of Tsunade-hime and Jiraiya-sama themed merchandise blowing away.

Naruto shrugged. "Have you ever heard of someone using logic in a ninja battle?"

Kin wondered at the statement. Naruto had disclosed a fight or two he had before meeting her, in particular the one he found most puzzling. His victory over the jounin by drowning the man. Luck and brains had won that, in a strict skill and power fight Naruto was certain he would have died.

Finally, the dam broke and the man screamed before shouting something nonsensical and retreating into his small store, the door slamming behind him. "Well." Haku said as the crowd dispersed, some leaving Naruto with a coin or two in thanks for the 'show'. "I do believe you've broken that man, Naruto-kun."

"Broken?" Naruto was looking at the money with a happy but confused expression, one that only Naruto could achieve. He then nodded to himself and slipped the money into one of the larger pockets on the side of his new pants. They were his favorite shade of orange with big symmetrical pockets on the side of each leg as well as a series of the straps. One of these straps was currently in use keeping the bottom of the pants rolled up to prevent dragging on the ground. "I haven't broken anything!"

His stomach chose that point to growl, and Kin suggested they find a restaurant and perhaps plan the rest of the day. As they headed for the one of the dining area's of the city Kin asked about her savior's new clothing. He was wearing a black shirt of some heavy fabric, though it was loose, and a new pair of orange goggles on his forehead matching his pants. "I'm not complaining, but why the bracelets and what's with the pants? Aren't they a little big?"

"For his current form, yes, but Zabuza-san has some interesting training in mind once Naruto-kun has proven some skill with the sword. Though I am not entirely sure, I believe being able to shift between male and female will be important." Haku had a soft, pleased smile on his face that a week ago would have been rare. It was a real smile, not a fake plaster mask used to be polite and dissuade worry.

They chose a restaurant solely based on Naruto's nose. He stood momentarily at the entrance, arguing with himself, before Kin subtly herded him inside.

* * *

Kotaro liked Konoha. He even liked their hospitals, despite the ever-present smell of disinfectant, because the nurses were cute. He signed the visitors log with an exaggerated flourish and winked at the young woman manning the counter, who giggled. She read his signature and smiled. "So you're the puppet maker Iruka-sensei has sent for?"

"Indeed, my dear. If you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of my patient?" He patted the suitcase containing the sample parts of puppets.

The nurse stood and leaned over the counter giving Kotaro a brilliant smile. _Lucky dog. These nurses must love this guy._ She pointed down the hall. "Follow this hall way, you'll see stairs on the left. Just up the stairs and to the right."

Kotaro sketched a quick bow and headed down the hall, whistling happily. He had come straight from the hotel to the hospital after getting in, and didn't want to waste time. Had it been any other city he might of waited a day to rest up from travel... but then he couldn't in good conscience head to the hot springs and relax for hours. Business before pleasure and all that.

He knocked on the door. "Umino, Iruka?"

"Come in."

Kotaro clicked his tongue and found himself pinned with a pair of the creepiest eyes he had ever seen. Stressed blood vessels and veins had all but exploded in the man's eyes, turning the white part red while his pupils expanded until they erased all signs of the iris. On top of all that, Iruka's eyes held the blank sheen of blindness like a finishing gloss.

Kotaro shook himself and pushed it out of his mind. He wasn't an eye doctor, it was none of his business. "I'm Kotaro Suzuhara, best puppet-maker in Suna! You have requested my services?"

"You aren't a ninja." Unlike some of his past customers, the chunin sounded more curious than insulted or annoyed.

"I had rudimentary training at the academy but I felt my time was better spent building than killing. If you don't mind, how did that happen?" The puppet maker asked as he prodded at the stump of a leg, noting how it still bled in places. _Clean cuts. Amputation._

Iruka shrugged. "Blew myself up. I, uh..." Kotaro was treated to the rare experience of having a grown man blush in his presence. It wasn't to say that old men were appealing, but rather most of Suna's population weren't in the habit of showing weak emotions. At least not those he worked with. "I was hoping to return to duty, but it would be hard without a leg." _Try impossible!_ "Do you have anything that can be manipulated? Of course, I would understand if you don't, Kotaro-san."

The old puppet maker laughed softly and opened his case, removing miniature models of legs and various pieces. "Don't be silly. I'm not a ninja and I don't care two-wits about 'village secrets'. Provided you already know how to make chakra strings?"

"I know the theory."

"If you can't make and maintain them the best I could do is give you a simple stump with a gear that allows the knee to bend."

"I see... can you demonstrate them?"

"Sure." Kotaro took a small marionette, one he sometimes used to entertain children on the road, and tossed it out. It danced in the air and came to a stop on the bed, doing a handstand and walking up the blanket toward the chunin. Iruka leaned over and watched it with strict concentration, his hands flexing and forming thin wires of blue chakra that overplayed Kotaro's and took over the toy. The Umino had closed his eyes and relaxed in favor of focusing on the marionette though the movements were not near as smooth as before. The wooden doll looked more like some kind of bug attempting a bizarre dance. "Well, you can maintain them, even if you can't use them!"

"Is that a compliment, or an insult?"

"Compliment, Umino-san. Why would I insult a client? This opens up many more, fun, possibilities. With enough practice using the chakra threads you could be moving just as well as you used to."

Iruka gave up working with the marionette and Kotaro packed it away. "Not any better?" The chunin said sarcastically. He needed to train harder if he planned to be of any help to Naruto. He needed to get into the top hierarchy of the system, and the only way he could do that is if he got into ANBU. His skill level as a chunin wouldn't make it.

To the Umino's surprise Kotaro rubbed his chin and stared at the not-quite healed stump. "Weeeeell. There is a procedure that has been used a few times, Elder Chiyo pioneered it, but I'm told it's very painful. As a chunin, I would expect you to have enough to survive it, but you would be out of it for days if not weeks."

Iruka's heart sped up as hope dangled in front of him. "I'll do it. How much?"

"You understand that it REALLY hurts. We'll have to cut back into this," he tapped the bandaged stump. "And place permanent chakra strings that we pull out of you're own system and attack to the leg. Only a small handful of veterans have even tried the procedure back home. It will be a constant drain on you're chakra reserves, and if the strings go out you would have to call us back to reattach them."

"I'll just build up bigger reserves, then. I fill like that's all I been doing since I got here." Iruka joked.

Kotaro laughed back. "If that's all you're worried about, I suppose we can do it. But first... how do you feel about senbon launchers? As a puppet limb you have all sorts of hidden compartments and spring-loaded catches in it. I even heard that one retired jounin was using his to keep drinks cold."

"...you can do that?"

* * *

The genin of team eight had a day off, or rather, their sensei had a solo mission and they only had a few scrolls to reference for studying. Kiba spent a little under an hour going over his simple raiton technique before calling it quits and pulling his teammates toward the shopping district. Akamaru sat on his head scanning the crowd for danger/deals like a living fur hat.

Hinata held a small notebook to her stomach as she followed her boisterous teammate, Shino beside her. Hinata would have preferred to stay by the stream where they had been training but it was hard to break out of her shell and deny Kiba. Especially when Akamaru whined with him. Hinata of the proud Hyuuga clan crumbled and followed her former classmates now team members back to Konoha proper.

The timid girl shuffled after Kiba only a step behind. "K-Kiba-kun, where are we going?"

"I was thinking of stopping by the pet store, they have really nice raw-hide bones." His grin displayed above average incisors, and a spiteful inner Hinata wondered if it was for him or Akamaru. Then considering their relationship it probably didn't matter.

Shino's fingers lightly touched Hinata's arm to steer her away from the shop. "Kiba, it is rather... pungent in there. We shall wait for you." The bug user and heiress found a shady spot near a fruit stand and stood out of the way. Hinata was grateful for the support and took the break to crack open her notebook.

Kurenai had given them all notebooks during their first team meeting, with instructions to take notes and bring them everyday. Sometimes their jounin would jot down exercises she wanted them to try, but more often than not it contained instructions for jutsu or mission parameters. Hinata was studying a diagram on water walking and tree climbing, and comparing the two.

"Have you progressed with your suiton skills?" Shino asked, the low humming of his insects creating a pleasant background noise to drown out the hustle and bustle of village life.

"A-ah. Some. I c-can move it pretty consistently, b-but getting it to take a-any real direction is still beyond my c-capabilities. A-also I s-still need a water s-source for it to be any use i-in battle." Hinata stuttered, slightly unnerved by the discussion. She knew Shino hadn't taken his lack of an affinity well.

"...carry it around with you."

"E-excuse me?"

"Carry extra water with you at all times." It made so much sense, and was so simple, Hinata's confidence took an abrupt nosedive. _Why didn't I think of that?! _ Hinata shuffled her feet and flipped the page, reading a new set of notes written in their sensei's immaculate hand. It was a mid level suiton jutsu for creating a mist, something that would be to Hinata's advantage considering her byakyugan.

They stood in comfortable silence until Kiba came barreling out of the shop, and as predicted he had two of the bones. They were larger than either of his teammates expected. "Anyplace you guys want to go?"

Remembering Shino's obvious suggestion, Hinata spoke up. "Do you k-know where they sell containers, l-like canteens or something?"

"Why? You need a new one?"

"N-no, but I w-would like an extra to help w-with my water techniques."

"Oh. Makes sense. What do you think, Akamaru?" The dog barked and pointed his nose. "To the camp-gear store!" And the boy began pushing his way through the masses of people, an action that went against everything Hinata stood for. Shino privately thought that as annoying as Kiba could be, he was refreshing and acted as a sort of glue to the team.

He dragged Hinata out of her safety zones and could interpret Shino's silence as well as any Aburame.

"Yamanaka!" Kiba growled, having been pushed back the top kunoichi of their age group. The blonde wasn't wearing her usual purple gear and had not been immediately recognized. She glowered at him from her spot behind a light post and crouched down.

"Quiet! Or I'll rip off your ears and make you eat them." Ino hissed and turned around, watching a group of woman talk by a small fountain. Her fingers weaved into the sign of the hare and immediately team eight was confused by an influx of sound.

"...so I told him if he didn't come back with the ring I was going to divorce him. I mean, can you believe he would lose something like that?...It's terrible! Wedding rings aren't cheap, to think he would value your relationship as so little..."

Kiba blinked and stared at the gossiping couple, then channeled a portion of chakra into his ears and found himself getting the old biddy's conversation in stereo. "What are you doing?"

Ino dropped the seal, and with it the jutsu, and grinned superiorly at the dog user. "I'm practicing my techniques. What are _you_ doing." She grimaced at the bones and favored Hinata with a condescending look. "I feel sorry for you, at least my teammates are housebroken."

Kiba's face went red. "Y-You bi-" Anything more was cut off as Shino pinned one arm behind his back and covered Kiba's mouth with a free hand, careful to avoid being bitten. _She's a leaf-nin Kiba, we don't go fighting with the ladies._

He nodded respectfully to Ino. "Yamanaka-san. Hinata. I believe Yamanaka-san will be more than willing to help you." The two boys vanished.

"My, my. Shino's got the dark and mysterious thing down, huh? What did you need help with?" Ino grinned as buddied up next to the Hyuuga, invading her personal space quite easily. Hinata noticed she had put on weight but declined to mention it.

"I-I need to get a container for water... not a canteen! I j-just need a small one for water t-techniques."

"Is that so... how about a gourd? They're not common around here so you wouldn't mistake your jutsu water for drinking water! And they make them all sorts of colors." Ino began dragging Hinata to her favorite specialty shop. "When did you start learning water jutsu anyway?"

Hinata marveled at how Ino could maintain conversations without receiving answers. It reminded her of Naruto. Strange, that. "Um. Since Kurenai-sensei let us test for our affinities."

"She let you do that already! I have to practically threaten out sensei just to get anything useful... like that spying technique. Cool, ne? I wonder is I can get Asuma-sensei to test us..."

* * *

The room was brightly lit, with an upbeat atmosphere at odds with the under-table dealings that went on inside it. Zabuza declined a fruity beverage as his soon-to-be employer lit up a cigar and slid over a contract. Saiga was a businessman and a professional, much like Zabuza himself. They didn't bother with empty threats or promises.

The feared demon of the mist read over the contract, and highlighted a few sections he didn't necessarily agree with. "Why the time limit? You are the legitimate heir, are you not?"

His employer puffed on the cigar, not disturbed. "It is, complicated, Zabuza-san." Saiga was almost forty, old as far as shinobi were concerned, but he wasn't a ninja. He was by trade a merchant, and the uncontested lord of several holdings in the Lightning country until recently. "While I do not worry that the feudal lords will hurry to usurp my position, as they do not yet have enough _fabricated_ and _circumstantial_ evidence to evict me, things have been getting tiresome of late."

"Tiresome?"

"We have narrowed the possible locations of the scroll down to one abandoned town, Kiyono, though the locals have taken to calling it Shikyo. At first I hired on day laborers, but several have gone missing in the underground tunnels. Anyone that searches at night hasn't been seen again. I am of the opinion that something may lurk in the darkness, and such require the assistance of skilled people such as yourself."

"And if you hired from a village the feudal lords would get wind of it and stop you."

"You see my problem, Zabuza-san." Saiga rested his cigar on the ashtray and took a dumpling from a serving girls tray as she sashayed by. "I trust we can handle this discreetly."

Zabuza pointed to the passage on the time. "You said you were not in a hurry, but this only gives three days until the time limit. It will take two to prepare and arrive."

Saiga sighed. "I understand, and I will not hold you to the time but... I am told it is a very good suggestion to finish before then. That is what the locals believe."

"We make our own timelines." The ninja pointed further down. "And this?"

"That sum is not satisfactory? I was to understand it is the equivalent of an A-rank mission in most villages..."

"No. I just don't want money as payment. If we succeed, you become an official lord of Lightning, yes?" Saiga nodded, thoughtful. "You may consider our work a favor. Of course my men and I will require lodgings for a time afterwards."

The man brushed a few crumbs from his business suit. "Very well. I shall have a new contract drawn up with your terms. Will that be all, Zabuza-san?"

"For the moment." The larger man replied smoothly and cracked his neck, causing a pair of guards to tense. The waitress came around again, this time with plain rolls. Zabuza took one and loosened the bandages around his mouth showing off sharpened teeth. "Three follow me."

Saiga stood and motioned for his retinue to follow. "Rooms will be prepared... I have never found my people to lie, Zabuza-san." The aging man frowned, the look uncharacteristic on his strong features. "And I do not see why they would about this. It is _strongly_ recommended you attempt this soon, and during daylight hours."

Zabuza simply gave him a lazy grin. At most a wild animal had taken up residence in the town, and it would be child's play for seasoned shinobi to get rid of it. The name, however, was amusing. Death. _The perfect place for a demon to live._ Zabuza let out a slow chuckle at the thought and left a tip for the waitress. It was silver bracelet.

* * *

In another world Naruto would have been called a pervert and beaten within an inch of his life for daring to go to a bathhouse'; the woman's side anyway. As it was he had never been to one before as the shower in his apartment worked perfectly fine, hot and cold water, and he didn't want to risk the cold look he imagined the other bathers would give him. Being naked and totally vulnerable didn't exactly encourage him to try it, but since he was with friends who wouldn't desert him when parents came around he could relax. On their side of the baths.

Naruto sighed in contentment as lazy clouds of steam whirled around her shoulders up to the sky. The bathhouse was designed with an outside portion styled like a hot springs, the ceiling was partially removed to allow airflow but it was expensive to maintain heating on the large pool and so the bathhouse Haku had picked out was expensive. But they deserved a little pampering.

"That feels good." Naruto remarked as Kin massaged her shoulders expertly, having taken a full course in kunoichi tactics. The blonde was sitting on a rock, her hair out of the customary pony tails hanging loose. She looked over to Haku, who had minor misgivings about going in with the girls, but gave up for two reasons. One, his features were so feminine the males would keep staring. Two, it was rather easy to pull a towel around his chest and play the part. It was much more interesting to listen to the women gossip.

Naruto's ears tingled, and she whipped her head around. It was soft, in the barely there sort of way, but she was sure it wasn't her conscience. Her conscience didn't giggle like that, and it had decided to take a nap after hearing about the bathhouse. Giving a mental shrug Naruto leaned back into Kin's hands, happy that she was with people that liked her.

Her eyes snapped open and she twisted, her ample chest bumping into the other girl's. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Pursing her lips Kin took her masters lead and channeled chakra to hear ears. Very faintly she caught a soft giggling punctuated by what sounded like scribbling. Strange. "Someone giggling?" She questioned in a whisper. "It's a little like they're in a concealment genjutsu, I think."

Naruto turned back around but Kin didn't resume her massaging. "So I'm NOT crazy."

_I wouldn't say that..._ "It could just be someone on the men's side."

As a natural male, Naruto took offense to that. Had she fur it would have been bristling. "No male would be caught dead making that noise in public." Her blue eyes glassed over, a sign that she having one her internal talks with herself. "Gross. There's a pervert on the loose!" _And he's watching me! He's watching Kin-chan! _

Blue bled to purple. "I'm going to go find him." Naruto spoke with a slight growl. Her conscience didn't like perverts either, for an entirely different reason. "That's visual rape." The voice growled as it woke up from it's slumber. "And any kind of rape is bad."

"So there's a peeping-tom." Kin stated matter-of-factly as she walked around the edge of the heated pool toward the door. Haku watched with a perplexed look and she waved him off. "I'll help!" Her new found feminism, nurtured by her companions casual embrace of the female form, demanded retribution.

The two girls headed for the locker room to retrieve weapons, in Naruto's case. Kin quickly toweled off and slipped on a shirt and skirt foregoing the usual under things. Her weapons holster was strapped to a bare thigh while Naruto only wore her towel as her hands held kunai. "He's outside, looking in from the alley."

The man didn't pay much attention to anything but the girls he peeped on, so it was pathetically easy to sneak up on him. His white hair and red outfit tickled Kin's memory and caused her to pause, but Naruto had no such issues. She tapped his shoulder lightly. "Excuse me!" Her voice squeaked in practiced cuteness.

"Hmm?" The man turned showing an aged face with red markings. His eyes came level with Naruto's breasts as she leaned over and bulged out of their sockets. "Glory to Kami! What a beautiful babe!" His demeanor changed immediately. She tried to slide to the side to wrap and arm around the blonde.

Kin was sneaking up around him, without a genjutsu. SNFS strikes again creating the perfect distraction. "You are a pervert." Naruto stated, her fingers twitching with the need to impale the old man with something.

"Oh ho ho. Not just any pervert! I am the famous author of the beloved _Icha Icha_ series, and the greatest SUPER PERVERT of them all!" The pose he struck was ridiculous. Kin took the opportunity to let her body run on autopilot as she tried desperately to think of something sweet. Like kittens. She couldn't let any killing intent leak out and warn the disgusting man.

Naruto had no such qualms and shuffled backwards as her kunai came down into his thigh, smiling all the while. Her inner voice crooned in triumph, before cursing as the body poofed away into a log. "Damnit!" She marched back to the bathhouse front, ignoring the whispers and points directed at her naked form, and tried to think. Something the self proclaimed super pervert had said reminded her of something.

She looked down at her bouncing breasts. "Icha Icha... isn't that the book the old man used to read with the orange cover?" Lights went on. "He's the idiot toad summoner!" Naruto dropped her towel to the tiles and grabbed her soap from the wooden bucket. For the first time she felt dirty. The way he looked at her, it wasn't surprise or disgust, it was something else. Every instinct screamed at her to run or kill. Preferably both.

"You okay, Naruto-sama?"

"I'm fine." She scrubbed, hard. _If I ever see that man again. I'm going to kill him._

Her conscience, ever aware of just who Jiraiya of the sannin was and what he could do, agreed. "We will kill him."

END... or not. Chapter Twelve Extra's Ahead!

Deleted Scenes:

**1.** They were given metal bowls before being led to a four-seater table and told to build their own bowl. Naruto jumped up and shuffled into the lunch line, his mouth salivating at the selection of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, and scallops. He piled his bowl with chicken and shrimp before moving to the spice selection.

Others in line laughed as he took time to sniff each offered seasoning before making a face and discarding it, to the annoyance of the workers, or tipping it on top of his meat. Behind him Kin and Haku quickly picked out the seasonings they were familiar with and liked. Next was the veggies, of which Naruto took none despite Kin's efforts.

Naruto watched the chefs sear the food over a table-sized pan, he sneezed a few times, fascinated.

After receiving their order Haku checked for poison, as he didn't trust a hunter-nin to sneak something in, and they ate. Naruto finished first and kicked his feet in boredom as Kin and Haku discussed their next destination. The docks and attached market, or the movies? Kin was rather fond of the idea to check out the local bathhouse, preferably one of the better ones. She also had her eye on rather girly outfit.

"You cut your hair." Haku commented as Kin tucked a few strands behind her ear; rice and chopsticks halfway to her mouth.

"Um. A bit, it was getting rather annoying to brush with the split ends."

"You washed it to. Professionally."

Kin stared at him and swallowed, wondering for what would not be the last time how a male could be so girly. No woman she knew could eyeball hair that well, at least not without a close look. "There was a bit of blood on it..." She hedged, not wanting to explain her disaster of a mission. The design of the case indicated the body wouldn't smell for a while, and if no one went in the store looking for him they might never find the old leach for months! Years even!

Haku gave her a smug smile. "What would you say to seeing the Princess Fuun drama? Heard it's supposed to be a great blend of romance and action." The ice user suggested, picking up the former discussion with all the grace of a mountain cat.

Kin shrugged. "I don't really have any experience with film, sounds boring to me. Sitting in a dark room for hours... not doing anything."

"I haven't seen many myself, the first one I went to was for work, but it was enjoyable. _Across the Universe_ it was called. I couldn't stay for the whole thing, my target suffered a tragic chocking fit during it, but I liked the music."

"I don't think Naruto," Kin looked at the empty seat of the blonde and cursed. "Did you notice where he went?"

"I thought he went with our waiter to the bathroom but... there." Haku pointed past a row of potted plants and Kin cursed under her breath. _What is he doing?!_

Naruto hopped back and had one of the steel bowls in a hand. The sound ninja watched in amazement as people clapped at the small blonde, who was throwing bowls at a rapid pace at every gong in the store. "They allow this?"

At the table over a native twisted in his seat and laughed at the two surprised ninjas. "'Course. This always happens," he paused as another round of gongs sounded. "If you ever complain of boredom they let you throw the bowls. Didn't you notice how dinged up they were?"

Kin sighed and rested her chin in her palms. "I guess I vote movie."

**2.**They stood in comfortable silence until Kiba came barreling out of the shop, and as predicted he had two of the bones. They were larger than either of his teammates expected. "Anyplace you guys want to go?"

Remembering Shino's obvious suggestion, Hinata spoke up. "Do you k-know where they sell containers, l-like canteens or something?"

"Why? You need a new one?"

"N-no, but I w-would like an extra to help w-with my water techniques."

"Oh. Makes sense. What do you think, Akamaru?" The dog barked and pointed his nose. "To the camp-gear store! Away!" And the two shot off into the distance where dog-boy and boy-dog would fight crime and triumph over evil. And that means Hokages.

**3.**Haku watched with his companions as the creepily old man giggled and drew. It was disturbing. A wicked, evil, idea formed in the effeminate boy's mind as he approached the elder. Haku knew full well who it was doing the peeping, he had memorized the bingo-book. Jiraiya of the Sannin, writing of the best selling Icha Icha series, and toad hermit. Apparently they forgot to comment on his peeping habits.

Haku took full advantage of that and motioned for Kin and Naruto to stand down. Sometimes the best revenge was not found in a bloody victory, but subtle speech. Like a snake Haku leaned down and wrapped his arms around the sannin. "Wouldn't you rather look at me, Jiraiya-sama?"

The man turned away from his peep hole and grinned, "Why you were one of the prettiest in there! Sadly, however, my tasted run in different direction." He made circular motions with his hands over chest apologetically. No need to be mean, after all.

"I-I see." Haku's acting skills were superb. "But you do think I'm pretty, right?"

"Of course! You got a face that would launch a thousand ships!" Jiraiya did not need a crying woman to draw attention to his activities.

"Oh. Well... opps." The towel dropped, showing Jiraiya just how manly his woman was.

Haku would remember the moment fondly for the rest of his life. Jiraiya's face went white, his body seizing up. Little choking sounds could be heard in the back of his throat. Going in for the kill, Haku sidled up to the frozen sannin. "I'm so glad you think I'm pretty."

He fell over, twitching. Jiraiya had one final thought before his world went black. _The world is a large and mysterious place._

* * *

**A Four Letter Words Short Story: Ouch! Or why Naruto's dislike of needles borders on psychotic.**

His body hurt all over, but it wasn't his fault. It was the stuuuupid land lady not telling him the handrail was getting replaced. She knew he liked to slide down it when he went down the stairs; it was all her fault!

"Broken wrist, lacerations on left side, a few cracked ribs. I think you got off lightly from that fall." The doctor-man said as he removed his wrinkly cold hands from Naruto's small chest. "We'll have to split the wrist and disinfect the cuts."

Behind the white coat a young male nurse, just out of the medical school, made notes on a clipboard. "Standard IV, sir?"

The doctor backed up and brushed his hands on his coat as if he were getting dust off of them. Naruto wasn't surprised, while the man had been professional during the check-up his face upon entering the sterile room had been typical. Disgust and annoyance if not cold indifference, and Naruto preferred almost anything to the indifference. It made him feel like he didn't exist.

"I think a light antibiotic solution would be better, some of that stuff he landed in..." The doctor grimaced.

The nurse nodded and made another note as the doctor left to check up on other, less infamous patients. The man dropped the chart on a counter and rifled through the cooled cabinets until he found a plastic IV bag. Naruto watched him work nervously as a long tube was attached to the clear packet, the packet was then connected to a hanging metal thing. It reminded the blonde boy of the mobiles that hovered over the cribs at the orphanage, only scarier. "What's that?"

The man declined to answer, evidently decided to take the route so many others chose when dealing with the demon container. Ignore it, and maybe it will go away.

"Right hand." His voice spoke up, holding out his own expectantly. Naruto hesitated for only a second before giving it. His left was still cradled protectively in his lap.

A brown bottle was tipped onto a cotton swab and Naruto shivered as his hand was cleaned. His skin was feeling tingly afterward, and he recognized the alcoholic cleaning solution from his own cabinets. It usually hurt on his cuts, but maybe the nurse knew something to make it not hurt?

Naruto's relief was short lived as he was asked to make a fist as the nurse kept up pressure on his upper arm. As his veins began to stand out a silvery needle was jammed in. Naruto screeched and tried to take back his hand but the nurse held on. "Calm down you brat! It's the IV! Doctors orders!"

"It fucking hurts!" If the nurse was surprised at all by the trash talk from a five year old he didn't show it. "Get it out!"

As a short wrestling match ensued, the IV needle jiggled causeing the young boy to howl in pain. The nurse grabbed a roll of tape from his pocket, intended for use in securing the needle anyway, and quickly used what field training he had in tying the young boy to the bed. Naruto was crying as the needle was righted and held in place by gauze and white tape. His wrist was pulsing with fresh pain.

"Little snot." The nurse growled as he untangled himself from the boy and fixed his hair. "More trouble than you're worth." He dropped the tape into a drawer and checked off something on the chart. A sly grin formed on his face. "What's this? Looks like you haven't had any shots! Terribly overdue for a rabid animal like you."

Blue eyes glared defiantly. "I don't need shots."

The nurse smirked, left, and returned minutes later with a tray of syringes and drug cocktails. Naruto's yelps were muffled by a dishcloth rag as the needles pierced his skin and the nurse smiled cheerfully.

End of short story. I myself hate IV's, it hurts when they go in, stay in, and come out. My hand was sore all day when I got one.


	13. Myth

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- Genin train under the willing, and unwilling, instruction of their sensei. ANBU have recently gained a few openings, one of which Iruka is hoping to fill with the help of his new leg. Leslie is well on her way to becoming a great madam, but the appearance of a traumatized girl and the gift of a turtle gives her another goal. Team Zabuza has signed up for a simple search-and-retrieval mission, one with disturbing rumors attached.**

**A/N- I think everyone should go watch Soylent Green at least once in their lives. I love the way women are called 'furniture'. I know it's demeaning but... I lol'd.**

**And for some random bit of mood music, try playing The Foreigner song. **

**I just glanced at my notes while writing this chapter, over several weeks. I wrote maybe one scene a week, maybe two. The ghosts/spirits seen in the chapter may not be totally true to the mythology. I took some liberties to fit it in with the story.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Myth**

_In the distant past there was farmer who, every fall, would travel to visit a large city on the other side of a mountain to sell his goods. As time passed the farmer grew old and tired and needed help taking his wares to the city. He hired a young, healthy, and handsome boy from a neighboring village. _

_As they passed through the mountain on their return journey a sudden and unexpected snow storm struck. The two turned over their near-empty wagon and huddled beneath it. The storm raged, ice and sleet baring down and trapping them beneath the small shelter of the wagon. For hours they sat fearing for their lives, when an unnatural silence came over the wind. Snow still fell, but all was quiet and muted as if they had been transported to another world._

_Fearfully the farmer and boy came out from under the wagon and watched in reverence as a beautiful apparition came toward them. As the spirit approached, the men could see she left no footprints in the snow. Indeed, it was if she glided over the fresh powder; it was a spirit of winter in the guise of a woman. Her eyes glowed with cold uncaring, and captivated by her beauty the aged farmer could not move as she gripped his face in her claws and gave him a kiss of death. _

_Having killed the farmer the spirit turned her attentions to the young boy. She grabbed him as she had the man, but gave pause at his handsome face. "I shall spare you, young man, for you hold a beauty parallel to my own. Do not tell anyone of this night."_

_The boy gave his word, and the winter spirit vanished back into the storm. He waited out the returned storm and went home alone. Though questioned about the farmer the boy kept his promise and did not tell anyone of the spirit he had seen._

_The years passed and the young boy matured into a man. One winter night as a snow-storm raged reminiscent of the one before, the man heard a frantic knocking. Upon opening the door snow and a beautiful woman fell inside. The woman was weak, but the man cared for her and she soon regained her strength. Love blossomed between them and within a year they married. Together they had two beautiful children. _

_One late winter night, as the children slept by the hearth, the man admired his wife. The freezing wind howled outside and as the man watched he noticed how the firelight was reflected in the wife's eyes as if they were glass. Reminded of the night with the spirit so long ago, the man smiled and took her hands in his own. "Your beauty is equal to that of a spirit, my love. The same as a winter spirit I met once as a boy."_

_It had meant to be a compliment, but the wife recoiled with anger seething in her icy eyes. "You promised!" She screeched with a voice as powerful as the wind outside. "You have broken your promise!" _

_The woman transformed, her rosy human skin flaking away to reveal the winter spirit from the past. Anger swirled around her and the man feared for his life but before the spirit could take it the children woke. Giving them a last, loving look, the spirit left the small home with one lingering order: "Should our children come to any unhappiness, I shall return and take your life as I should have done before."_

_Dondo Harai- With this, it's sold out._

* * *

Sakura bit back a curse as she landed on her butt for the third time in as many minutes. She had taken Sai's comments to heart and tried to do better, but there was only so much a civilian-born girl could teach herself. The library had been exhausted during the academy, having only the most basic information about shinobi skills, and her family lacked anything to contribute. As their lazy instructor could not be counted on Sakura turned to the one source that had yet to act condescending to the 'little civilian genin'. Sai.

The pale boy hadn't seemed the slightest surprised by her request, but then he didn't really show his emotions at all. "Better, Sakura-san." Since Kakashi was always two to three hours late, Sai used the time to improve the kunoichi's taijutsu. The boy was surprisingly quick and gave even Sasuke, the number one rookie of the year, a hard time. "But you keep forgetting to move your feet."

He gave her another one of those unfelt smiles but she missed it and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I'm trying, it's just that people in the academy weren't as sneaky as you!" She remarked and gave up her cleaning. She would just have to perform the mission dirty, and if their stupid sensei made any smart remarks she'd hit him. Sakura nodded to herself and stood up while brushing bits of grass and dirt from her red dress.

Sai was watching her with a blank expression, something she had come to recognize as his natural expression. Meaning he was thinking. She turned around to see if anyone was approaching their small park clearing, it was close to the bridge where they met for missions, but didn't see anything unusual. When she looked back she jumped in surprise. Sai's face was inches from hers. "You should change your hairstyle."

"E-excuse me?" Her eye twitched and the dirt grumbled under her shoes as she slid back. Sai was a good ninja, and maybe a good friend, but he had deplorable social skills. Sometimes it was as if he lived on another planet. It was no wonder he didn't talk much.

His fingers took hold of her pink bangs, or what would have been bangs had she bothered to keep them trimmed. They dangled before her face, a few strands glued to her skin by sweat, and if she wasn't so dirty they would frame it cutely. Sai's actions were making her blush, but his next statement killed all romantic thoughts. "Your reactions are a fraction slower when I come from the side. If you move your forehead protector to keep these back you would fight better. Also, loose hair makes a good target."

"Oh." _Shit. I bet Sasuke's known that forever, his bangs are always out of his face. He probably thinks I'm a just a vain bubble-head._ Inner Sakura growled and pumped her fist. "Then let's change it! Cha!" In her world of black and white Inner Sakura removed her hiate-ai and swept her hair back. In the real world Sakura mirrored her actions with a glare. "Okay! Let's try this again!"

She jumped up but instead of taking the academy taught defensive stance; spun around and headed for Sai. Inner Sakura cheered on in her head and tossed out tips, and Sai jumped back in what could have been surprise. The pinkette had never before gone on offensive right off. He speed had mysteriously increased.

Sakura felt her chakra surge with each mental cheer as she threw punch after punch at the boy.

Her efforts appeared wasted as the pale boy danced around her attacks, occasionally sending one of his own into her openings. Earlier they would have caused her to flinch in pain and move back but she was different. She felt different. Her insecurities and inhibitions had been put on hold and the little voice was getting louder and louder. "JUMP NOW!!!"

Instinctively Sakura tucked her feet beneath her, and Sai's foot passed harmlessly under. Grinning like a maniac Sakura felt as if everything had titled to the side, with her chakra raging wildly through her body. She kicked out in midair, attempting a maneuver Sai had used on her before, and missed narrowly. Black eyes widened marginally as the boy was forced to go up a level. "Very good, Sakura-san." He gave her one of his special practiced smiles, and Sakura felt that there was some true pleasure buried under all the formality.

"Heh." She was panting from the effort as blood, adrenaline, and chakra surged through her body. It was a highly unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Sakura hopped away from Sai's next strike with a bright smile; she'd never pushed herself so far and though it hurt it was _wonderful_. Sasuke never fought her with any seriousness and Kakashi didn't even glance at her. Sai treated her as an equal, never going 'easy' on her, never giving her a 'freebie', but always trying to get her to improve. She was faster now, having forced him to increase his own pace.

They moved around the clearing in a complicated dance, Sai flowing around her attacks like water while Sakura moved in quick bursts. Her feet slid along the grass as her left leg stretched out in a half split, the other coiled under her torso as she leaned down. Sai's foot swept through the air above her and he continued the spin saving his momentum for a follow-up that would take her from the ground. Sakura pushed up with her hands into a sloppy but effective front-flip turned kick. Sai blocked, then twisted his hands to grab her foot and throw her across the clearing. _Grass stains are going to be a bitch on this red._

"Very good, but I think you should take a break." If Sai was more familiar with human interaction and psychology he might have noted her change in personality and actions as worrisome, but he did not. His goal was to make her a capable kunoichi as soon as possible. "You used quite a bit of chakra in that last attack to get enough power, and young kunoichi are known for having a small capacity."

"Wha-?" She paused in her new attack, knuckles bruised but not bloody. "Sai?"

The other took it as invitation to elaborate. "It is a common enough phenomena. Females tend to have naturally small chakra stores, but on the upside they have greater control to make up for this." Sakura listened as her ID grumbled, marveling at how nice Sai looked. He wasn't near as winded as her and only had a light sheen of sweat as opposed to her buckets. Sai continued is explanation oblivious to her inner critique. "Similar to how males are physically stronger, we also have a greater chakra base but the disadvantage to this is that it's harder to control outright. There are other basic differences between shinobi and kunoichi that should have been discussed in your kunoichi training."

"Eh. Yeah. We tend to be more flexible, emotional."

"Ninja's are not to be emotional. It's a hazard." Sai replied flatly. Sakura's brain clicked. _The rules of the shinobi._ "You were using your chakra to increase your speed near the end. Too much and you will have difficultly completing the mission."

Sakura moved to brush her hair out of her face, and stopped to stare at her shaking hands. "I-is this bad?!" She had heard of chakra exhaustion. The academy always had supervisors fluttering around making sure no-one died from determination.

Sai didn't bother looking at her before giving his answer as he walked back toward the bridge. Instead he took a granola bar from his pouch and tossed it to his teammate. It bounced out her hands the first time, and she fumbled, but Sakura got it. "No. Keep it up and you'll improve your capacity, just be sure to eat more."

Sakura ripped open the packaging and began chewing. _Honey! And chocolate!_ She followed a few steps behind the taller boy and licked her fingers. It was weird. She was dirty, sweaty, and sore... but she was happy. Certainly her life wasn't anything like she had hoped it would be, but it was still good. As their feet pounded the wood of the bridge alerting their third teammate, Sakura flicked a bead of sweat from her nose.

Sasuke was standing in the middle leaning against the railing with morning sun illuminating his figure like some Norse god. Inner Sakura squealed in delight. "Good morning Sasuke-kun!" She sang, but was careful to maintain distance. The object of her affections would not appreciate being hugged by someone as disgusting as she currently was.

"Sai." He nodded once to the other boy. "Sakura." Sasuke frowned as he took in the girls disheveled appearance. Bits of grass were caught in her messy hair. "What were you doing?"

"Oh? Me?" Her grin was reminiscent of the one that came up during her spar with Sai. "We decided to train since sensei is always late."

"Hn."

Sakura was speechless. It wasn't a real reply but she had been around the Uchiha enough to know. It wasn't a dismissal or disapproval. Interest, maybe? Sakura bit down on her lip to keep from cheering, though she did unconsciously pump her arms twice. It was a small victory, but she would take them where they came.

* * *

Naruto thought the guide was odd, and that was saying something. The woman was old enough to have gray streaks in her long hair and crinkles at the corners of her eyes. She looked as if she was permanently suspicious of everything, and her hands increased their nervous wringing the closer they got to the old ruins. Her watery eyes shifted over to a set of bushes and stared, frightened. Naruto wondered as the guide moved closer to him and hissed, "Something is in there."

"It's probably one of Usa-chan's relatives." The blonde smiled in reply and launched a kunai at the brush in question. A trio of birds launched from the cover with surprising quickness and soon became lost in the forest. "See. Just a couple of birds."

Haku gave the woman a gentle shove to get her moving again. They had started out later than suggested, for various reasons, but at this rate it would be dark before they finished searching the town. If they got there. "Is there anything we should be aware of, Hatori-san? Samurai? Mercenaries? Other Ninja?" Haku continued to nudge her forward and favored Zabuza with a slight smile. The older missing-nin had been getting annoyed with their guide's scared rabbit act, but she was all that was even willing to go with them so close to the cut-off date.

Hatori shook her head, and stared wide eyed at their surroundings. For everyone's health, she kept walking, though it was clear the effort took some concentration. "No. No Samurai, no mercenaries not hired by Saiga-sama. Ninja's… I wouldn't know. There shouldn't be, unless Saiga-sama's enemies have caught wind of his plans."

"So what's the problem? Is someone after you?" Kin asked, the annoyance clear in her voice. She took one of her new kunai from their holster, admired the shine of the metal, and began flipping it around her fingers.

Hatori's eyes blinked at the show of dexterity and she seemed to draw some confidence from it. "Nothing like that, it's just… you know the history of Shikyo, don't you?"

"It was abandoned."

"Well, yes, but do you know why?" Honest curiosity shone through. "You don't know the legend?"

"Why don't you tell us as we walk?"

"Yes." Hatori's hands resumed their wringing motions distractedly. "That may be best; you really are doing Saiga-sama a big favor by taking this mission… it started near a hundred years ago, so they say. The exact time has been lost but most say a hundred… anyway the town had just recently been completed to the point that a prince from the royal family was sent to rule the area. In the years that followed tragedy's began to build up.

"They say that a merchant came and sold bad grain. People grew sick, and crops began producing less and less. Murders increased in frequency as the people went mad from starvation and sickness. It was like a plague and anyone who went to Shikyo was caught up in it. In desperation those that were able fled, taking only what they could carry to get away from the killing frenzy." Hatori paused and her shaking hands accepted a canteen of water from Naruto, who was drinking the story in with wide fascinated eyes.

"Is that why you are worried about going back?" Naruto asked. He had been listening to the questions between the girls with mild interest, most of his attention had been focused on watching for ambushes and the news that there wouldn't be any disappointed him, but his conscience was aware. For the briefest moment he was disturbed that something that completely slipped his notice drew the attention of the voice in his head, but then he remembered what Shidou had said. A conscience was meant to keep you safe, make sure you did the right thing, and so it kinda made sense it would notice more things. When it asked that he offer their guide a drink to calm her nerves he did so. He also found her fear of the dead town believable. _What if there are ghosts?_

"Yeah." Hatori murmured as she handed back the water. The road was getting rougher, testament to the infrequency of use and they had to step around a fallen tree. "You could say that, the rumors about Shikyo are… scary. I've heard that there are _things_ at night. That the place is haunted and if you stay out too late…

"But of course, you're ninjas. And besides, spooks aren't real, right?"

Naruto didn't say anything as Kin laughed, she had a nice musical laugh sometimes, but he didn't think his minion and his conscience were laughing for the same reason.

* * *

Onna and her team, a group of specially selected former ANBU, stood arrayed in a typical guard formation outside a cave. The intelligence operative knelt down and examined the grass; a thousand scenarios played out in her head. She made a motion with her hand and a trio of her helpers headed into the cave. In another time she would have warned them to be careful, but that part of her had died. They were experienced ninja and they didn't need to be told useless sentiments like that.

_Ba-kooooom._

Onna anchored herself with chakra as a shockwave came, and with it dirt and the smell of sulfur. Yuuhi, a good genjutsu mistress who had specialized in solo assassination missions before becoming a jounin instructor, shunshined into view. Dirt was smudged on her normally immaculate clothing. "Toki and Rubi managed to find several traps and disabled them, the last caused a small cave in. Toki was stuck for a bit but managed to use an earth jutsu to sink into the ground and come up. He has a broken ankle."

"Have Xia escort him to the hospital. Can we proceed?"

"It will take a few hours to clear the way, unless we use Shinjuu Zanshu to bypass the blockage. Toki thinks that only a small section of the hall was destroyed."

_We need to work fast in case any traitors show up to distract._ "Use the Earth Jutsu." Onna ordered and began forming the seals. Her team followed suit, except for a pair of guards, and began sinking into the dirt as the energy of their bodies matched that of the earth. They moved like ghosts through the soil toward the cave, their need to breath had been temporarily suspended by the jutsu. Their inner organs vibrated with the pulse of the planet and their eyes passed through the burrows of startled animals.

Onna reached up as her head broke the surface and came out inside the dark cave. She pulled herself out as the earth affinity of her team lit a flare. While most Konoha shinobi knew of the decapitation technique, not many used it. Sinking into the earth was easy, getting out required a level of control and concentration those without the talent for it despised. As they came out of the ground they had to regulate the chakra at two different levels; maintain the earth level for what was still in the ground and 'normal' for what had come out.

Rubi was still pulling herself out after the rest had lit their light sources.

"It smells like old chemicals." A shinobi that often out in a few hours at the hospital commented. "And a little lemony."

"I got blood." The most recently off duty ANBU whispered. He had a flashlight that he used to look into a hallowed out section of wall, his eyes went blank and neutral. "And a body."

Onna walked to the compartment, her boots crushing bits of rock and glass, and frowned. She signaled for someone to take notes. "Young boy, estimated between the ages of 5-8. Blonde. Deceased."

"Should I call for an autopsy?"

"Later, spread out and see if any more bodies are found, also be on the lookout for anything that resembles a chemical lab. I don't need to tell you this is high priority, top secret."

_Mizuki, I'll find your accomplices, and I'll torture them. _Onna grinned and squatted down, staring into the sunken face of the dead boy. Her fingers reached out for the long strands of yellow that spilt over the abused form. _I'll find them, and I'll make them scream for everything you did._

* * *

As the small group approached a subconscious shiver ran through them, all but unnoticeable. The pounded dirt walls of Shikyo were crumbling in the places that weren't held in together by creeper or other life, and a smell that could only be described as age drifted from the hanging and broken gates. The shinobi continued forward into the town as their guide hung back. "I, I think I'll wait out here." She gave them a shaky smile and moved away from the lengthening shadows of the late afternoon. "Good luck."

Naruto smiled and waved as his team headed off, his gaze tracking that of Hatori's. At the base of a large oak was a patch of frost. Naruto frowned and ran to catch up with Kin and Haku. _Why would there be ice in the summer?_

"Naruto-kun," Haku called. "Why don't you take the houses over there? Zabuza-sama is searching the mansion and cellars, I shall do the west side houses."

Kin turned with a wave. "Then I got the places down by the farming field."

"All right. Remember to report back by morning, at the latest."

Naruto tugged Haku's sleeve, and momentarily felt jealous at how tall the other boy was. His stomach was feeling odd, warmer than usual, and his conscience sounded unusually happy. The hairs on his arms had stood up when Kin left and he found himself worried for her. "Eh, Haku-kun? Do you think they're ghosts here? What if they come out and get mad for us trespassing?"

Haku shook his head with a light laugh. He found the younger boy's insistence on the existence of spirits humorous. _Nothing more than a fairy tale to keep children in at night. That's what father used to say. _Chocolate eyes darkened. "Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun. If you have any troubles with ghosts just tell them we were sent by the daimyo of the territory."

They separated, each taking a different half of the dilapidated village. Naruto accepted the answer as he forced open a partially rotted door, but the uneasiness didn't leave.

* * *

The sealed demon breathed in what passed for air in its figurative prison with a relaxed sigh. The ground they had passed onto was a pool of emotion and energy and its vessel was picking up old grudges still hanging thick in the air.

Ghosts were as real as demons and not long ago had been as plentiful. But humans liked to kill what they could not control, and ignore what they could not understand. Spirits were forgotten. Ghosts were forgotten. Demons had been forgotten until they decided to give humanity a wakeup call. _You are not the top of the food chain._

The great fox stretched out and began pacing at the bars. Her tail flicked back and forth as the scent of old blood came up and pleased her. The seal was already cracked, it was not invincible. He would roam the world again, and then this town would be the first of many like it.

* * *

Her feet made small squishing noises as the kunoichi walked across the fields. Kin was tempted to use the water-walking technique on the soggy ground, but didn't want to waste energy; she'd felt nervous since setting foot on the disused rice paddies. The outskirts were less populated, which meant she had fewer buildings to search, but had somehow fallen into worse condition. There were signs of struggle and fighting all over the place and rusted metal implements littered the fields waiting for a chance to give tetanus.

The bones from a recent kill lay scattered haphazardly in one field and it reminded her of old experiments. _How much blood can a person lose before death?_ She palmed a kunai as a precaution. While animals may have pulled the man apart, they didn't drain off the blood before doing so. _Focus Kin!_

She shrugged off the feeling of being watched and hurried to the first house. It a small, simple affair built from wood and straw; mold was everywhere. Kin tied a strip of cloth around her mouth to serve as a mask. A beam of light coming through the collapsed roof highlighted the motes of dust and pollen floating in the air. She'd never been particularly worried about getting dirty, but the place was a death trap. _I should have asked for the town._

She scanned the room, and stepped into the next. Whatever doors that may have present had splintered and decomposed.

The first house contained nothing recognizable, the second a few broken jars and furniture. In the third, after lifting an over-turned standing cabinet, a skeleton. Kin finished checking the outlying homes and went into a separate building. It had been set slightly apart from the others and had a stone floor. Perhaps it would have the document? At the very least if appeared more official and important and, therefore, was more likely to have the scroll they were looking for.

Kin coughed as she entered the building through a back window, as the door was barred or blocked from the inside, and waved her hand to dispel the dust. It was at least half an inch deep. _Must be a storage area._ Wooden crates were stacked against the far wall on top of each other, some with once bright paint proclaiming the contents, but most looked like they had been pushed in place last minute. Kin pulled one down and cursed as her foot got tangled in yet _another_ pile of bones. _Kami. Didn't anyone come back to clean this place? Or at least collect the dead?_

She snorted, and immediately sneezed for her trouble, at the remembrance of the guide's tale. As she tipped out the box and discovered numerous sheets of rice paper, very little of it useable, she thought about the reasons. Why would people abandon a town? If it was a crazy plague, why not return after? There was so much that sat unclaimed, and the bodies! Shards of bones had been sprinkled like seeds through some of the fields, not to mention the fresh one.

_It wouldn't be too far-fetched if someone has plans for this land and doesn't want it developed. _She took down another box, glanced in, and tossed it aside. She needed the door clear. _They could easily hire some thugs to patrol the grounds, and kill anyone that looked like they might stay. _The next crate splintered as it hit the ground, spilling out what might have been salt. Kin glanced at the window; the sun was going down quickly.

She moved the last of the boxes and found herself facing an old, strong, wooden door. Several spots were broken by what looked like an axe. "Okay. That solves the reason why there are dead bodies in here." The door handle was rusted shut. Kin groaned and leaned against the door, but it barely budged. She charged her side with chakra and rammed it with her shoulder causing the door to burst open with the sound of nails on chalkboard.

The next room made it obvious as to what the building had been; a temple of some kind. Two-thirds of the room was meant for a gathered mass, the rest stood slightly higher on a raised stone stage. There was an upturned table on the platform, its contents scattered. Small metal objects reflected dull light from the floor and caught her eye.

"Bell choir." Kin smiled to herself and bent down to pick up the few hand bells still intact. They were bronze and tarnished from years of neglect. All the smaller ones had been crushed under what she assumed had been stampeding feet. Kin stroked a mahogany handle lovingly and untied off her makeshift mask to use as a rag. She looked up, noted she had an hour or so before night fell, and started cleaning the two bells most intact.

She blew off the dust first and found intricate geometric etchings. She started wiping the bells, which were as big as her fist, down with polish and hummed as she worked. There was little chance of the document being found in her area, and she was tired from looking, the bells would be a nice break. "I'll have you two good as new, maybe take you with me?" She sighed at the thought. They were as impractical as they were beautiful. What would she do with them? Kin polished a little more vigorously.

The temperature dropped and the girl shivered. The bells warmed under her hands.

* * *

Zabuza completed his circuit of the aboveground floors of the manor house and went into the kitchen. The cellar door was made of thin planks and was oddly cool to the touch. Zabuza kicked it down and descended into the dank darkness of the underground, it didn't bother him as much as if he wasn't used to being deprived of sight. The old stairs didn't give away his passage but the cultivated sense of danger all shinobi carried with them began ringing alarm in his ears.

Adrenaline production doubled. Zabuza felt satisfaction as his eyes grew used to the night-sight jutsu. Along the walls barrels of stacked wines and provisions sat unused and forgotten, slime coated the barrels and water dripped down the walls. It was damp and cold, a perfect environment for insects and pests of all kinds, and yet Zabuza had yet to see a single spider web.

The temperature plummeted and on instinct Zabuza jumped. He stuck to the ceiling with chakra and put one hand on his sword. "And here I thought this mission would be boring."

"Oh? I woman likes to know she's appreciated." Where the ninja had been formerly standing a mass of ice spikes took his place. A coating of ice grew out wide and flat along the floor. Zabuza felt her before he saw her. Her chakra was unlike anything he had heard of; it was as if she was made of the stuff. "I commend you on avoiding my missives," she paused and there was amusement in her voice. "But you have entered my realm."

Dripping water froze as she drew nearer; ice trailed up the wall and grew icicles as if they were plants. As the freezing atmosphere closed in on him Zabuza felt the familiar pull of his chakra being drained by an outside force. That explained the lack of animal life; they had fled the draining influence of the strange jutsu user. He raised his estimation of the otherworldly woman who walked into view. "And who might I have the honor of entertaining?" She asked and looked up, crystalline eyes boring into him.

Zabuza's breath caught. She had sharp aristocratic features with coloring similar to that of a corpse; blue veins stood out against snow-white skin in alarming contrast. Her hair hung around her black and limp, but most disturbing of her appearance was her clothing. She wore only the outer layer of a kimono, loose, which was once white but stained a bright red with blood. A coppery tang wafted off it, and Zabuza found himself excited in multiple ways. If they weren't enemies, they could have been friends.

He dropped down and his eyes never left the woman. "Zabuza. The Demon of the Bloody Mist." He unlatched his sword and leaned against it casually.

The woman grinned revealing sharp teeth. "You? A demon? HA!" She flung her head back as she laughed and Zabuza was tempted to go for her exposed throat, but somehow he doubted it would work. She had no noticeable pulse. "Oh, you are no demon, just a human with a good appetite. Perhaps."

She crossed her arms and they observed one another silently. "I should say, the vassal and half-breed are truer demons than you. 'Tis a pity, I would have liked more to fight."

The missing-nin's interest was piqued. "Are there more here?"

"Of course." Zabuza heard a barrel burst as the liquid inside froze. She was gathering her power. "The three you came in with. The old man will get the girl, and I wouldn't dare attack a vassal of the high one," she paused and smiled contentedly. "It wouldn't be right to attack family."

_She must mean Haku... but he's the last of his line. _"What do you mean by that?"

The woman blinked in surprise but the opening was too small for him to do anything meaningful. "You don't know?" Her eyes widened and she looked ready to laugh again. "You truly don't know! This is fantastic! Do you not know what I am?" At Zabuza's silence she laughed again. "I'll tell you what I am, _human_. I am a winter spirit, a snow woman and a demon."

She spread her fingers and ice launched up from the ground toward Zabuza's position. He hopped back and brought his sword down cleanly cutting through the spikes of ice. "It's an interesting bloodline, but you are no more demon than I."

"So stubborn." She shook her head and her hair tinkled as bits of ice trapped within it clashed. "Where do you think 'bloodlines' come from? Demon blood is strong and it is what grants you your 'bloodlines'. Do you think they appear randomly? As a gift of god? Absurd."

Zabuza went on the offensive and weaved between fountains of ice to get closer to the woman. Chakra pumped through his body to augment his speed as he cut down, and found himself stopped dead. The snow woman had caught the head of his clever with her palms and she didn't even look winded. Water began to condensate along the metal and slowly freeze over, gradually creeping along the blade toward him.

She leaned forward, and for the first time he saw her eyes clearly. Black and blue; ice reflecting their surroundings. "The half breed carries the blood of one of mine. I see it in his face, hear it in his heart beat. You cannot hope to win."

Unbidden, a memory trickled in. They had been sparring before the demon brothers went missing. Haku's mirrors would have killed him. _Haku, with these mirrors you cannot be defeated._

The yuki-onna's breath was cold; her face hung inches from his. She was trying to draw his chakra and succeeding to some small degree. Archaic bits of knowledge crashed into his mind as he leapt to out of leeching range, mind racing while he tried to come up with a strategy. He believed.

He was fighting with a demon of ice and snow, one that, for lack of her proper environment to feed off of, was draining the people that came to Shikyo. Zabuza twisted away from a ball of ice that seemed to follow him and wished he knew some fire jutsu.

* * *

As Haku passed a familiar bloodstain for the third time, he began to suspect something was off. Truthfully he had found it odd that he hadn't reached the end of the house, but easily chalked that up to the maze like interior. Haku threaded his fingers together into the near universal hand sign for dispel. "Kai!"

His chakra ripped out to displace any genjutsu but all that the ice user detected was a faint giggle. Haku waited and after a moment resumed his path down the hall. He kept close to the yellowed walls and found himself irritated. He knew he was being watched, there was an itch at the back of neck that resembled the feel of being hunted, but was much less malicious. He could detect no killing intent or ill will from the watcher but what annoyed him above all was he couldn't fathom where they would be watching from.

A shiver went down Haku's spine as the feeling increased tenfold, almost as if the invisible person knew it unnerved him. A trio of ice senbon formed between the boy's fingers with a thought and he spun around, crouched, prepped to attack.

Soft laughter.

It came from every direction; diffused as if carried by wind and Haku worried. Who could craft such a strong genjutsu? Why would they hide if they were so strong? Most importantly, _what are they doing here? Why are they interfering with my mission?_ Haku hadn't been called a genius just because of his bloodline, and his mind immediately started the process of sorting through information as he crept cautiously through the weathered house.

An old board groaned and he adjusted his weight, thinking. _Would this have anything to do with the 'suggested timeframe'? Do they simply wish to delay our activities?_ Haku rolled one of the senbon between his fingers. He recalled their guide's account of the history of Shikyo, and wondered why it would have such an inauspicious name. _Could there be something more? Could there be a reason for Hatori-san's discomfort of the place?_

He came to an intersection and went left in silent opposition to whatever force was attempting to keep him trapped. He rolled the questions over and discarded answers. Nothing he could come up with made sense and he resumed his thinking. Then he heard it.

As the feeling of being watched hit an all time high there was the almost imperceptible groan of stressed wood and sliding. Sensing an opening, Haku twirled and let his weapons fly. They bounced against a wood wall as if hitting stone and fell the ground, shattering into ice on impact. Haku found himself rendered immobile by an impossibility.

Hundreds of eyes stared out at him from the paper walls, all but the one his senbon had hit. The eyes moved and crinkled up as if in a smile. Haku stepped back as creatures from his mother's stories came to life. They were impossible; spirits didn't exist and _if you keep telling those stories he'll never grow up to be a man. I'll not have such foolishness in this house!_ The antithesis of his father stood before him in mocking laughter.

Haku's back hit the wall and he crumpled as the silk of his robes slid easily down the wood. His father had said that spirits only functioned to scare children and keep them in bed. His mother had never said any different, but she told the old stories with a, now, alarming regularity before Haku was expected to help out. His mother was dead, killed by the over-controlling man, and his father had been impaled by Haku's own ice spears.

The laughter died down, but with their cover blown the eyes did not retreat. Nor, it seemed, would the walking wall. _That's the reason I can't get out. It, and possibly others like it, have been moving around._ Judging by the puddles of melting senbon on the floor, the spirit was unbreakable. Sheer force would not work against it. _But there has to be some way to get around it. There was always some way to escape._

Haku shook himself from the memories and stared back at the eyes. He sat in a more comfortable position, and tried to remember. _If those are mokumokuren..._

* * *

Naruto had never before been on a D-rank mission, but if he had he would have compared the monotonous searching for a scroll at the same level of boredom. He held Kyuu-chan in one hand for the comfort of her soft fur, and slid open doors with the other. The wood grated in its rails from disuse and hurt his ears. "This is stupid." Naruto told himself with annoyance and worry. For some time he had felt weird and his conscience wasn't helping.

The normally faint voice rumbled about timing and burst into laughter, the reason for which the blonde couldn't fathom. The broken down homes weren't _that _funny. More to the point, ever since walking into Shikyo Naruto felt off. It wasn't a bad off, like having a mild stomachache from drinking bad milk, but the kind off that came after running around in the snow without a jacket. His limbs felt distant though he had complete control over them. He felt like something was happening that he should have been aware of.

_Bratatatata._

Naruto jumped back as the oddest pair of moldy sandals ran by. They sang as they ran and upon noticing him stopped and came back. "Why is this place so messed up!" Naruto began running away from the strange creatures. They gave chase with squeals of joy and were soon joined by another pair and a ripped up umbrella. All had eyes and outrageous tongues that slapped the ground when they weren't waving through the air.

Naruto was near tears. "I knew it! I knew ghosts were real!" He ducked through a hole in a wall and crouched silently hoping they wouldn't notice him. From his vantage point he watched the army of animated objects cheer and run by. A fork of all things brought up the caboose with tarnished silver legs a single eye at the top. Naruto clapped his hands over his ears at the high-pitched squeal of the eating utensil and closed his eyes in the hopes that if he couldn't see them, they couldn't see him.

"What are you so worried for? They're just tsukumogami. Spirits." His conscience questioned, it's former rampant amusement dampened by the boys obvious distress.

"I know." Naruto whispered in reply still curled in a ball. "Spirits… they'll eat my soul. They'll kill me."

Hot anger spilled from his stomach and warmed his body. It fought of the numbing fear and brought feeling back to his outer extremities. "Who told you that?!" The voice raged. "No matter, I'll find out… you should know those particular spirits will do nothing of the sort. They might poke and pull a few pranks, but they wouldn't actively try to kill you. Besides," the voice teased, though there was a malicious ring to it. "If anyone will be eating your soul it will be me."

Oddly reassured by the comment Naruto peaked open his eyes and looked about. Instead of the slavering ghosts he had been expecting all he saw were the age stained walls of the house he was in. "K-Kyuu's gone!"

"…you must have dropped her when you covered your ears."

The blonde ground his teeth and stepped back into the hall. His foot pounded on the wood boards with determination. With the voice's suggestions he could deduce what had happened. _So they don't eat souls. They play pranks. _Naruto grinned viciously exposing sharpening teeth. _Let's see how well they deal with a Master Prankster._ "Oi! Ba-ka Zori! I want my fox back!"

"Lost little boy, lost his fox. His fox. He lost. He lost his fox. He lost himself within himself! Kararin!" One of the bakezori danced at the end of the hall and blew a raspberry.

Naruto pounded down the hall after the straw spirit, turned the corner, and found himself slipping along an oil spill. He caught sight of a jar with legs wobble out of the way as he reached for a wall and used chakra to stick. Zabuza and Haku had been teaching him many things, tree/wall walking among them, and they had been applaud at the Leaf's attitude toward training upcoming shinobi. To them it was as if Konoha wanted them to die.

Naruto proved to be a, if not talented, determined student. He used his upper body strength and pulled himself off the slick spill and onto the wall that he ran along to resume the chase. It was a good thing he did for as he went he noticed various other traps such as caltrops and weak boards. _They may not play to kill, but they aren't squeamish about doing damage._ The thought of his first and favorite toy ripped to shreds by the creatures fueled his urgency.

He followed the track of tiny feet and flipped down to open a door. "Oi!" It was empty, which didn't make much sense to the blonde.

_Shlick. Shlick. Shlick._

Naruto's eyes turned toward the ceiling and his mouth opened in surprise. There was a lady ninja on the ceiling! His conscience rolled it's figurative eyes at his reasoning and supplied a helpful, "Tenjoname."

Naruto forced himself not to run as the figure paused in its, licking? He noticed her hair was at least several feet long and defied gravity, it almost felt as if she was the one on the floor and he the ceiling. "Um, did you see some," he strived to remember the word his conscience had used. "Tsukumogami run through here?"

The woman looked up and her eyes captivated Naruto, rivets of blood ran from them like tears. As if noticing his gaze her tongue, a ridiculously long tongue, came out of her mouth and dabbed at the red drops to clear them. Slowly she moved her arm and pointed at a far wall.

"Thank you Tenjo-san!" He flicked out a knife and slid it into a thin crevice in the wall, then jiggled it upwards until he flipped the latch. Behind him he heard the spirit resume it's licking, or cleaning, or whatever it was that the woman felt she needed to do with the ceiling.

Naruto found himself facing a pitch black passageway. _You know, I could really use a fire chicken about now._

* * *

Fickle had watched the going-ons of them with aggravation at first. They were getting together and making plans, plans to fight the humans that she so generously lived off of. And they didn't even think to ask her people if they wanted to join in. She wiped at her whiskers to clean off the crumbs of her latest ill-gotten gain, a muffin, and twitched her tail.

To be fair they didn't think much of her kind, the rats were selfish and small. Like their cousin mice a rat caught in the open was in for a quick death but Fickle didn't think that meant they should be excluded. Rats could go places the others couldn't! Rats intimately knew the thought processes and ways of humans; if they didn't they wouldn't be able to survive in the cities.

"If the bloody insects can participate," she peered around from the shadows of a cabinet and scurried along the floor to the outside. "Why can't we? I eat the damn things."

Once outside in the relative safety of the night she relaxed and slunk to the overgrowth. She had ventured from her den under the human academy, there was always an abundance of food where the small humans congregated, to speak with her old acquaintances by the farm. Three of the five were dead and the remaining two were far too terrified of 'Precious' to join her. They barely made any effort to leave their den and were hardly more than skeletons themselves. "Such is the way of the rat, I guess." Fickle would lose no sleep over their deaths.

She pushed aside grass with her nose and swayed as she walked; her stomach was full from both her muffin meal and the children she carried inside her thus resulting an awkward waddle.

The wind changed and her nose twitched. Her heart rate skyrocketed as a dangerous smell came through her nostrils. "Precious."

"Yaaaaaaawrowl!" The farm cat growled and pounced with all the grace and agility of a natural hunter. Fickle rolled.

Temporarily stunned by the strange maneuver the cat blinked at its empty paws and danced in place. _Stupid, pampered feline._ Fickle thought with fleeting satisfaction as the cat sniffed and whirled to face her. She made a beeline for the bushes. Her only hope was the go where the cat could not. In her current state she wouldn't be fast enough to elude it for long.

Her tail whipped in the air as Precious the cat swiped at it, and was nicked. _I'm going to die. Go to the trash heap in the sky._ One of her children kicked. _Will they go with me?_ The mental image of a permanently pregnant Fickle in the afterlife came to her mind. Disgust filled her and she wanted to vomit. Rats may mate and have children on a scale to make rabbits jealous, but that didn't mean it was a pleasant process. _Oh HELL no._

The rat halted with the aid of the light stuff. _Chakra. They call it chakra._ She had lived around the academy for years and knew the theory of it backwards and forwards. It was only when she noticed the forest dwellers showing up that she considered attempting anything with it, and that was really only to relieve boredom. In the city there was so much food she hardly had to put in an effort to get it.

"Take that!" Fickle rounded on Precious and jumped up in a kick. Her small paws plowed into the larger mammals chin and nose with a squish. The cat recoiled and mewed helplessly while staring at the not so helpless pray. "Heh. That was pretty easy." She felt winded and tired, but she wasn't dead. The cat began circling her.

Fickle placed a forepaw on her belly and peered back at the cat. She got an idea. Her fingers came together to form signs she could make in her sleep, if she so wished. The rat took a deep breath.

_Charred cat fur smells pretty nice._ Fickle passed out.

* * *

Kin tossed the log that blocked the door off to the side and winced as it broke through a weak spot in the wall. Plaster crumbled around it and Kin sighed in relief. The job didn't exactly call for stealth so her blundering about wouldn't have any repercussions. _That and it's easier then setting the damn log down gently. _She dusted her hands off and went outside into the cool night air.

It was damp and cold and her skin started to feel clammy, moonlight illuminated the clearing and Kin rubbed at her bare arms. The way the light filtered down through the clouds gave a distinctly disturbing look to the empty fields. Ruts from hoes and wagons looked more like festering scars, and there was a deep sense of emptiness filling the air. Kin's breath made little white clouds as she blew on her hands to warm them. Her skin crawled with unease. It was still summer; the air shouldn't be cold enough to condense like it did.

She headed back across the field fully intending to wait at the rendezvous, search complete or not, and sunk her shoes into the mud on accident. "Shit." It squished between her toes and made schlooping sounds when she got out. Gross. _Okay, I really don't like this place. It's not like an important document would be here anyway._

Kin scraped the worst of the mud off with a kunai and continued on her way, while a feeling of _wrongness_ continued to build. She made it halfway before the reason hit her. _I don't hear anything._ Her expertly trained ears picked up nothing, no insects or nocturnal animal life. It was as if everything fled while she had been in the church, and she wondered. What could make animal life flee?

As if answer a figure shambled from the distant brush. Slowly, laboriously, it untangled itself from the wild growth of dividing bushes and turned towards her. Kin couldn't quite make out the details, but she was sure it was a man. Had to be. "Sir? Are you alright?" Not that she cared, but it would be better to find out if he had been ambushed. She mentally berated herself for not noticing a fight right outside her door and moved forward.

The person did not answer, and as they grew closer Kin was hit by the feel of decay. There was no other word for it as her heart stopped in alarm and her feet took a step back. This was the wrongness. This man, or thing, was wrong. He exuded an oppressive aura that threatened to crush her and as he looked up Kin was stuck by the vicious smile. "Help me. Help me."

The words came out rough as if his vocal cords were long in disuse. He reached out toward her, a short handheld farming scythe in hand. "Won't you help me? They are so thirsty."

Kin exhaled. "Dorotabo." The crushed half of his face proved it. His lips quirked and he raised his scythe. Kin back pedaled and launched the mud-covered kunai at his face on reflex. It passed through him as if he wasn't even there but she wasn't stupid. Even if her weapons couldn't affect him, she wasn't going to stand still to find out if his would hurt her.

_Life is a real bitch._ Kin thought as she ducked a swing and slipped on the damp ground. Of course her master had warned her, but she didn't listen. In his own sweet, round-about way, he had told her to be careful of the ghouls in the night. But she had only thought it one of his eccentricities.

She bit back a cry as a second scythe formed in the ghost's free hand and cut into her leg. Luckily it missed the bone, but ripping of muscle as he jerked it out wouldn't do her any favors. The freshly dead body made sense in retrospect. The old man was what had been killing the people.

"Won't you help me water my babies? They need so much love..."

Kin tried to block with a kunai, but his weapon turned to smoke and continued down to her shoulder. "Get away!" She rolled to the side and tried to stand but collapsed. Angry tears formed in her eyes. She was being useless. A waste of space, a burden on her team, and always getting injured. Kin. Unable to move in time, she lowered her head to hide the kunai poised over her breast. Cowards way out, yes, but she wouldn't give the spirit the satisfaction of drawing out her death.

Something warm and wet wrapped around her hand as the ring of metal on metal rang out. The warm thing jerked her knife away and Kin cursed at it as she looked up. If not for the moonlight reflecting the familiar geometric designs she'd spent an hour polishing Kin wouldn't have recognized it.

Now half the size of her head, a bronze bell hung in the air with no visible support. The clapper had become a tongue that moved like a monkeys tail, and eyes had formed along the surface of the dome. It had become a Tsukumogami, and judging by the way it blocked the strikes of the dorotabo, it was helping her. But why?

"Doesn't matter. Nothing matters." She muttered and felt a nudge at her arm. The other bell had transformed as well and looked up at her with puppy eyes. It panted with a bronze and silver tongue lolling out as it rubbed against her side. "Uh. Thanks for the help." It was weird. The whole situation was bizarre and it was all she could do to not scream.

Ghost trying to kill her on one side, hundred-year-old bell spirits on the other.

She tried to bandage her leg when the malicious farmer let out a screech and struck at the defending bell with a blow that cracked the metal. Kin crawled backward, mud covering her legs and hands, as her mind scrambled for a solution. _It's a ghost. You can't kill what is already dead, the best that can be done is to delay it._ She leaned against the strangely warm bell for support and ducked a thrown cutting tool. It appeared as if the ghost had refocused on her and was coming closer.

_Can't kill it. Can't kill it._ His eyes glowed with an eerie red light. She reached into her ninja pouch and came up with a bottle of ink and the roll of paper she used to practice her seals. _Useless! I can't seal a spirit into this! _Or could she? The bell that had been cut had adapted. The metal peeled back into a rictous of teeth that shone and flaked rust. Alarmed, the one assisting her floated to the aid of its compatriot.

"Please! Give me two minutes! Two minutes!" Kin shouted and tightened the knot on her makeshift bandages. Sure, she was a beginner, but enough power usually made up for lack of skill. Usually.

The two bell spirits floated and circled around the ghost like a pair of hornets buzzing in to sting and retreat. The kunoichi slunk around the fighting trio, her face flushing with the pain of added weight on her leg, and jumped to the bushes. They're had to be a reason the ghost came from the area. Ghosts didn't haunt a place for no reason. They came from violent deaths as the guide, Hatori, had said. _Everyone got sick and crazy. They started killing each other._ A caved in skull grinned at her, bits of clothing appeared to be growing out of the ground. He had only a partial burial if any.

Kin snatched up the skull and stuffed it in her shirt for immediate storage. She tied her new wires to the rings of the kunai and sent them flying. They sunk into the spongy ground forming a vague circle and for a split second she bemoaned the ruination of her recent purchases. Only a few days old and already her weapons were getting dragged through the mud.

She held the end of the wires in her teeth and prepared another five kunai with the thin wires before leaping into the air and sending them out. She landed on her good leg, and would have collapsed in pain, but for the first time the ground proved useful in absorbing the force. Sweat trickled into her eyes. _They deserve a warning. _"Get out of there!"

Once again she took to the air. At the apex of her jump she flicked her wrist, twisting the connected wires into an odd diagram only discernable from above, and united all the wires to a single kunai. Blood from her leg wound supplied ink to scrawl a messy 'seal' on the farmers crushed skull. She'd spent hours studying the theory. In theory anything could be stored with the right materials, even living people. _Even the dead._

Kin dropped to the ground dead center of her circle and slammed the skull into the ground. Immediately she supercharged her planted wires with chakra, enough that they glowed and lit up the entire field in a pale blue. The living bells shot out of the seal with unsurpassed speed.

Hopefully it would work. "Stay the fuck down!" She drove the final kunai into the old skull, straight through the kanji. Her chakra was ripped from her body as the formation attempted to compact and seal the malicious ghost within his old bones. Kin couldn't keep her scream in. If she didn't have enough power, she would die from chakra exhaustion before the seal worked.

But if it didn't she might die anyway, and her blood would join in with that of the countless other victims that watered the field.

* * *

Zabuza found himself hard pressed to avoid a rain of icicles dropped by the demoness. By the way she moved she was obviously confident in her abilities and was gradually becoming more precise in her attacks. In a way it reminded him of his apprentice, how the boy would sometimes draw out his battles in the attempt to get the other to give up. It also reminded him of himself. Truly, in any other circumstance, they could have gotten along.

The missing-nin was tempted to ignore the few shards that nicked his skin but he knew from recent experience if he did the shallow wounds would ice over and drain his energy more than any normal injury.

It was hard to maneuver in the cramped tunnels, but he managed to get enough space to expel the toxic chakra of the demon from his cuts. _It seems as if she could keep this up for hours._ Zabuza found himself panting as his eyes and ears strained to detect her next attack. He was hoarding his chakra jealously, more so than in any other battle he'd fought, for any slip in control resulted in strengthening his opponent. He had to get close to her, but thus far he had been kept at a distance by her defenses. _I wonder how good her senses are..._

The yuki-onna pursed her lips while cold eyes glanced about in feigned annoyance. "Come now, demonling, the game isn't over yet." Water condensed and the cool wisps from her ice became a dense fog. She waved her hand a portion solidified into ice and dropped, but there too much of it. It was a risk to use so much chakra maintaining the fog, but it was one he was willing to take. "Why are you prolonging the inevitable? You've given me amusement, I will make your death painless."

Her answer was a sword to the neck, but instead of severing her head from her body as intended the cleaver was stopped by a petite hand. Unlike last time her arm was visibly shaking. Zabuza grunted and reared back for a second go.

He utilized a camouflage jutsu and faded into the fog. _Her movements aren't as strong. She must have limited physical stamina._ A second time his strike was deflected by her palm, and a third. Zabuza's feet slid along the hard ice floor as his chakra buoyed him up and he pressed the attack. Real frustration showed on her face as she backpedaled with her hands moving like lightening to intercept his sword thrusts.

The ninja tipped his head to the side as she spat an ice spike at him and grinned. It had been a long time since he'd had a challenge, and he might die, but it was thrilling to fight such a beautiful and dangerous creature.

Neither spoke as they danced around one another. Zabuza retreated for only brief moments into his concealing fog, and the snow woman had little time to restore her launched offensives with her mind focused on his close ranged assault. "Perhaps you have earned your title," she murmured appreciatively while sliding her foot in a semi-circle. A barrier of ice shot up to give her a brief respite before Zabuza knocked it down. He grinned widely at her revealing sharpened teeth as the bandages around his mouth had long sense come loose; they hung damp around his neck and shoulders.

"Compliment?" He questioned before leaping to safety and circling her.

The woman spun, masses of ice condensing for the next assault, and opened her mouth to speak. Zabuza didn't hear whatever it was she wanted to say; her features twisted into surprise and her head turned slightly. He took advantage of the opening.

The steel of his kubikiri paused momentarily as it came in contact with her shoulder before slicing into her body. The woman turned to look at him as it entered her chest, her fingers twitching, and exited above her hip.

Zabuza watched, unsurprised, as her body evaporated instead of dropping. Part of him expected her to melt or something, but who was he to say how a demon died? The tailed beasts never left bodies when they were sealed into jinchuriki. Still, he didn't trust it. He could swear she had been, what? Smirking? _She didn't look all that upset, somehow. She didn't feel like someone about to die._ Zabuza crouched in a ready position poised to spring. He waited as the fog dissipated but no attack came.

Perhaps the ice demon was well and truly dead?

Hundreds of tiny cuts half-forgotten began to scream as the air warmed and Zabuza stood to look around at his surroundings. During the fight he had only been partially aware of where they were going, the battle awareness of things had stuck but any directional ideas had been pushed to the back of his mind. Now he realized just how far they had gone. Water dripped from melting icicles onto marble flooring, thick wooden doors hung off rusted hinges, and ahead a decorated table covered in now damp dust contained several gold-threaded scrolls.

"Jackpot."

* * *

His arms rested on his knees as he sat, and Haku stared at the wall before him. It stood immobile and taunting in its silence. It had a weakness, some peculiarity that would allow him to move on, he knew it. The ice user flicked a pair of metal senbon at the wall and watched as they bounced off only to join the others he had used to take pot-shots at the thing.

One bounced off another that had fallen and the tip scraped at the bottom of the wall. It shuddered.

Brown eyes narrowed; the hundred of watching eyes widened in glee. Haku crawled over to retrieve his weapons. "I remember now. You are nobusuma?" The wall gave no hint that it heard. Haku tucked his senbon away. "Proper name doesn't matter, at this point."

Haku stepped up and tapped the lower portion of the wall with his foot. In comical slow motion the wall shook before falling backwards. Layers of dust flew into the air as it fell with a final thud, and like some life-size domino effect other spirit walls began falling around the boy. He covered his mouth with the sleeve of his robe and waited for everything to settle. _I win._

The mission would be completed. He stepped over the fallen walls, chuckling at the baby-sized feet kicking helplessly in the air, and continued on his way. The eyes followed him but he found he didn't care. They were disturbing but harmless.

"You don't want to go thaaaat way." The voices of the spirits laughed as they watched the half-breed search the complex. "There's nothing there. You want the liiiiiiibrary."

"I do?"

"Oh yeeees. You beat the labyrinth. No one's ever done thaaaaat before." They spoke with sing-song voices, oddly in time with each other, and the eyes smiled. Haku wasn't sure he trusted them, no mist trained shinobi ever fully trusted, and these had hardly given him a reason to.

_If there is a library, it would be more likely for the scroll to be there._ Haku watched as the eyes closed and disappeared into the woodwork, only to reform in an arrow shape. With no better option he followed. The library was old and dusty like everything else. Animal tracks and droppings littered the shelves; some books had been torn apart and used for nesting materials.

Haku stepped over a small possum that woke, jumped up with a hiss, and bolted for the door. The scrolls had been stored on separate hexagonal shaped shelves but most of them were falling apart anyway. Haku pulled some out and slowly unrolled them, curious, and found that the ink was mostly unreadable and depending on the material used the scroll would tear easily. A few silk scrolls were slick with a thin film of slime and their ink had become almost invisible. Most were of the ancient bamboo design and were brittle to the touch; the boy was afraid any tampering would cause them to break. It didn't bode well for their mission. _Even if we find the right scroll, Saiga-sama won't be able to use it if he can't read it._

To the left another possum poked it's gray head out of a cubby and blinked. Haku reached for the shelf as the animal lazily scrambled out of the way and plucked a scroll thicker than what he had seen thus far. It had a heavy iron handle, and the leather was smooth and cool to the touch. Amazingly, upon opening it was completely legible and Haku's eyebrows rose as he skimmed it. How and why it was there he didn't know, but he didn't much care. Had its presence been known shinobi would have descended on the haunted little town regardless of the warnings.

It was a master summons scroll, the kind that the legendary sannin possessed, that would grant contracts to whoever signed it.

The only question was, _now what, exactly, does this summon?_

* * *

She was a creature of the seasons, but she rallied against her nature. She refused to let her life be dictated by the whims of the revolutions. She was more than that. The pale skinned yuki-onna watched as the group departed with their number the same that had arrived, though the long haired female was carried by the half-breed. Surprising, considering how many had fallen to Shikyo.

Of course she believed the two demons would make it, but the others? "You underestimated her ingenuity." The demoness spoke to a kunai-speared skull she supported in her hands. "We both underestimated them."

A cruel smile lit her features and she raised the old bones to her face as if to kiss them. "But you're the one that was truly defeated. I on the other hand..." her mouth opened revealing a dark cavern of icy shards and a pale green energy floated from the skull into her mouth. The land was no longer contested between the old man and herself. As she drained energy from the imprisoned dorotabo, ice formed a wave at her feet and spread across the ground. Shikyo was hers, and she would keep it until the Child of Prophecy came to lead them.

It was only a matter of time, and immortals such as she had plenty of patience.

END.

**A/N- When Zabuza has the 'familiar' pull of his chakra it's because it feels similar to him sparring with Kisame before either went rouge. The Yuki-onna's drain is like Kisame's sword.**

**And the fire chicken reference? Don't ask. Please. I'm ashamed of myself.**

**There was supposed to be a show down scene with Naruto vs. Sandals, but at 15 pages I decided to call it a night and update. Maybe I'll do another deleted scenes in a future chapter and include it. Any opinions?**

**By fifteen pages, I mean arial font, at 10 point. Single spaced.**


	14. OC List

**Four Letter Words**

**OC List**

**The following list contains original chacters that have/will/are in the story. For a project as big as FLW OC's are necessary, Kishimoto simply can't be expected to write a complete and detailed history for every character that would have to exist for the economy of elemental nations to function. As such the people mentioned here are not the only OC's to occur in this work; there are numerous one-time characters that are not important in the long run. **

**Humans are listed first, then animals/demons/spirits. Names are not in any particular order. The author reserves the right to add/delete from the list as she see's fit.**

**Characters of Note:**

Rai. Ninja. Jounin. Konoha.

ANBU Capain. Codename Kanna. Age: Unspecified Male.

Rai's mask is that of a dog. He is normally a level headed individual that dislikes going into situations without plans. He leads the team that chases after Naruto out of fire country but doesn't like the idea of disobeying orders. He has a small amount of respect toward Naruto's skills and a love for his team.

Deceased. Killed by Haku.

* * *

Hyun. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

ANBU under Rai. Codename Ayumu. Age: 21 Male.

Hyun's codename is part of traditional running gag among ANBU members. Two friends joining ANBU will often take each others names as codenames, this is an acceptable practice as it is thought to add to confusion should a spy listen in on conversations. Hyun wears a rabbit mask that compliments his excitable personality. He has great confidence in his abilities.

Alive.

* * *

Youko. Ninja. Special Jounin. Konoha.

ANBU under Rai. Codename Yuukou. Age: 26. Female.

Youko comes from a long line of shinobi. Her goat mask was inherited from her grandfather. She speacializes in tracking but also knows a variety of jutsu. Her favorite are area effect as she is often used by her team to help get close to targets.

Deceased. Killed by fluff.

* * *

Ayumu. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

ANBU under Rai. Codename Kimi. Age: 19. Male.

Ayumu is best friends with Hyun, though they're personalities often clash. Ayumu declined the name switching to cut down on the number of jokes he would hear about it. Ayumu wears a green frog mask in honor of his idol, Jiraiya, whose academy records were the same as his. His sole reason for entering the academy and becoming a ninja was to piss off his parents. He loves coffee.

Alive.

* * *

Unnamed. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

ANBU under Rai. Codename Helios. Age: Unspecified. Male.

The author was too lazy to give this character a name. He won't be getting one. He is a member of Rai's ANBU squad that will follow orders, no matter what they may be. He has deep hatred for the Kyuubi container and a strong battle lust but tries to keep them under control.

Alive.

* * *

Gurio. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

Age: Unspecified. Male.

Gurio was part of a chunin team dispatched to search for Naruto after he stole the scroll of seals. He is a weapons user that specializes in dual weilding katana. Normally exhibiting an easy going manner Gurio has no real opinion of Naruto until they meet in the forest. Naruto took off with one of his katana as a prize. Gurio has a civilian sister who likes to make cookies.

Deceased. Killed by Naruto.

* * *

Shidou. Civilian. Woodcutter. Forest of Fire.

Age: 37. Male.

Shidou's family has lived near the northern border of Fire country for generations. He is the last of his family to live there, though he has some distant cousins in various cities. Shidou holds a great respect for the forest life and can weild his axes as both tools for cutting trees and people. He is greatly annoyed by ninja in general but is willing to give everyone a chance. He meets Naruto and points him toward Sound.

Alive.

* * *

Cho. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

Medical division. Age: Unspecified, mid to early twenties. Female.

Cho is a speacilist in genjutsu and medical disorders of the mind. She is second only to Kurenai in genjutsu. She has the equivalent of a doctorate in psycology and is known for profiling her oponents into submission. A scary woman on the field, even scarier in the office. She has one brother, also a chunin.

Alive.

* * *

Plushy Vendor. Civilian. Toy seller. Takara, Sound.

Age: Unspecified. Male.

Older than one would suspect, the nameless seller of stuffed animals has connections to more than the local drug dealer. He speaks to his creations which he makes with peices of real animals. They act as mediums for the spirits of strange creatures yet to be revealed.

Alive, location unknown.

* * *

Leslie Fujiko. Civilian. Prostitute turned Brothel Owner. Takara.

Age: 28. Female.

One of the few OC's privileged to have a family name. Leslie was born and raised in Takara by her cultist mother. As such she believes that there are supernatural forces at work in the everyday and is ready to accept the existence of her 'angel' Naruto. Unlike most Leslie does not have a dichotomized view of demons and angels. All creatures have the capacity for good and evil. Leslie's best features are her large breasts and orange-red hair, she plans to become owner of the best respectable brothel in town and still worships her rescuer, Naruto.

Alive.

* * *

Donna. Civilian. Street Prostitute. Takara.

Age: Unspecified, late twenties to mid thirties. Female.

Donna wears short skirts and is extremely athlectic. She has the unfortunace of a troublesome reputation and is often running to/from trouble. She is a decent fighter out of nessisity but wouldn't be able to take on anyone trained. She has blonde short hair and is friends with Leslie, like other women on the streets she has a 'sixth sense' before something big happens. She suspects that a great change is coming.

Alive.

* * *

Kotaro Suzuhara. Civilian. Puppet Maker. Suna.

Age:Unspecified, late fifties to early sixties. Male.

Kotaro is one of the best puppet makers in Suna that is not a ninja, he was an acadmey drop out. As such he is often contracted outside of Wind for prothstics, but he must sneak out as the Kazakage would have him dragged back for fear of letting secrets slip. Despite being born and raised in the desert Kotaro hates it. Kotaro has garnered a heafty reputation for his escapades to vacation to other countries as well as the company he keeps. Kotaro only contracts young girls as apprentices, much to shinobi ire.

Alive. Contracted by Iruka to build replacement leg.

* * *

Kurumi. Civilian. Apprentice. Suna.

Age: 16. Female.

Kurumi is Kotaro's apprentice in puppet making. She is extremely clever but often shy and worried about making mistakes. Unlike Kotaro she has no ninja experince and cannot mold chakra. She loves praise and thinks of Kotaro as a surrogate grandfather, most of her family was wiped out by foregin ninja in a failed ambush. Failed as most shinobi in the group survived.

Alive.

* * *

Niata. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

Age: Unspecified. Female.

Stationed at the border of Wind and Fire, Niata guards a civilian establishment for the transmission of telegrams. She wears boots and casual clothes her thinking being 'tainted' by the constant companionship of 'normal' people. She considers the civilians sloppy but makes no move to change things. Likes sudoku.

Alive.

* * *

Minato. Civilian. Borderlands.

Age: Unspecified. Female.

Minato can be surprisingly immature and free with information. Her duty is to translate/transmit morse code messages that come in and type them up to send on in areas where there are no telegraph lines. She is an excellent artist but bad with handwriting, her best friend at the station is Niata.

Alive.

* * *

Yoshi. Civilian. Bird Trainer. Borderlands.

Age: 34. Male.

Yoshi runs the animal roost at the message station. He is thought of as too soft by his shinobi temporaries but doesn't care. He often prefers his birds to poeple and seems to sense their moods. He picks up that something is going on with animals but does not know what.

Alive.

* * *

Seki Kyo. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

Torture and Interrogation. Age: 17. Male.

Seki is a new recuit to the T&I and is nervous about messing it up. He is not squimish at the idea of torture, but questioning throws him off. He had red hair and a nice smile. Seki is put in charge of questioning Iruka in the hospital.

Alive.

* * *

Samurai-san. Civilian. Samurai. Takara.

Age: Unspecified. Male.

Samurai-san declined to give his name for personal reasons. He failed in protecting his lord on the road, who was in disguise as another samurai, and fled for his life by the angered family. He felt great shame afterward and traveled around. Leslie hires him for protection and with his failure fresh on his mind he is determined to take all threats to her person seriously. Samurai-san harbors distrust and hatred toward ninjas as they are the reason his old master died.

Alive.

* * *

Onna. Ninja. Jounin. Konoha.

Torture and Interrogation. Age: 31. Female.

Once happy and emotional, an ambush resulted in a total personality change. Considered for a teaching position she was immediately swtiched to T&I. She blonde with a small frame and wears black bodysuits, gloves, and steel toed boots. An expert taijutsu fighter, Onna puts her job and village first. The only times she shows emoiton are when she's tortureing an enemy.

Alive.

* * *

Saiga. Offical. Minor Lord. Lightening.

Age: 42. Male.

Saiga serves as the lord of a small area in an un-offical capacity as his family has done for generations. Technically they are royalty but the proof of it has been lost. He sends Zabuza and crew to retrieve this proof with small warnings. Saiga is trustworthy and will keep all promises he makes so long as he is alive to keep them. He is loved by his subjects for his unflappable attitude in the midst of chaos.

Alive.

* * *

Rubi. Ninja. Chunin. Konoha.

Age: 24. Female.

Ex-ANBU operative Rubi is selected to join Onna's team to ferret out the traitors of Konoha. She is focused on her job and performs well. She has dificulties with Earth jutsu.

Alive.

**Animals**

Conscience. Demon fox. Naruto.

Age: Unlimited. Hermaphrodite.

Conscience is the name Naruo gives to the voice in his head, which is Kyuubi. Kyuubi does this in the hopes of swaying Naruto to his/her thinking. Kyuubi does not have an assigned gender and can fully switch between them with ease. This trait rubs off onto Naruto.

Alive. Sealed.

* * *

Squash. Raccoon. Konoha.

Age: Unspecified. Male.

Squash is a city raccoon that likes sleeping. His speech is often filled with human idioms and he serves as a guide for the forest animals that seek to enter the city and learn. Squash has prophetic dreams, but just assumes them to be the results of bad cabbage. He is learning to use chakra.

Alive.

* * *

Lady Fox. Fox. Forest of Fire.

Age: 87. Female.

The oldest living fox next to Kyuubi, and the mother or grandmother of nearly all foxes in Fire. She is quick and clever and is developing the ability to speak human tounge. Lady is one of the heads of the Forest Animal collition and serves as the translator between the animals and Shidou. Though not displayed Lady Fox as a large chakra potential.

Alive.

* * *

Usagi. Rabbit. Zabuza's team.

Age: Unspecified. Gender: Unspecified.

The name given to Haku's bunny.

Alive.

* * *

Suki. Squirrel. Forest of Fire.

Age: 6. Male.

The first squirrel to put it's foot down and demand an end to blatant ninja trespass and disruption. Like all squirrels Suki has redundant speech. Becuase he recieves no opposition Suki is the offical 'head' of squirrels.

Alive.

* * *

Fickle. Rat. Konoha.

Age: Unspecified. Female.

She is a mother rat that lives beneath the acadmey school. At first annoyed her 'people' were not approached to join in on the rebellion, it doesn't bother her for long. Fickle is skilled at chakra manipulation, though the amount she has is small. Like most rats she is rather self absorbed but can see the appeal of working together.

Alive.


	15. Wait

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- Those without capable teachers seek training elsewhere. Those with willing teachers work for their approval. Sakura works toward her goal, for all is fair in love and war. Zabuza takes the first, and most important step, toward his. Naruto lets insanity was over and through him, hopefully leaving him stronger for it, for he now knows that demons and spirits are everywhere hiding in the world. He is just one of many. The demons themselves wait for the opportune moment when a child will lead them.**

**A/N- Has anyone else noticed how Kurenai is portrayed awefully underpowered? I mean, she's like the only female jounin that gets any screen time but though she's seen as 'smart' in fanfics she doesn't kick near as much ass as she should. So. Here we have kickass!Kurenai. Enjoy.  
**

**Chapter Fourteen: Wait**

Kin made a few notes with her pen, detected the distinct sound of something heavy sliding against the carpet, and spun in her seat. Her eyes narrowed at the suspicious pair of bells sitting innocently on the floor. _I knew it. They've moved at least three inches from where they were last!_ Her room had a soft beige carpet which made tracking the movement of anything that went across it easy. A soft line of disturbed material lead from the corner where she had placed the, once again, fist sized bronze bells to where they now sat at least a foot from the wall.

Kin squashed the urge to scratch her bandages and sat her brush down carefully so as not to smudge the ink. With her chakra at deadly lows she'd been unconscious for a week and healing from burns and now that she was up and about she wanted to study sealing in more depth, but the bells! Something needed to be done about the spirits. As it was daytime they didn't move much, for some reason they were only really active at night, but they still followed her around. She was grateful for the help back in Shikyo and told them so but they were such a distraction!

"This has to stop." Kin uttered in all seriousness. No matter where they went or how far they traveled, sure enough, by the next morning the two spirits were there. Lurking. The first morning she woke up to find them cuddled up to her side whining. '_Oh, You know Kin-chan. We ran them off the first few times, but they're persistent. And, well, they aren't hurting anyone.'_ "I mean it! I have duties, studies, I can't be entertaining you two all the time."

In response to the chastisement the bells slouched, their handles dipping marginally. Kin sighed and began wiping ink spots from her fingers with a rag. She didn't know what to do with them. She tried ignoring them but they didn't go away. Every time she turned around they were _there._ Waiting for something.

Zabuza didn't care so long as they didn't cause trouble, and actually found them entertaining to some degree. Kin couldn't tell if Haku liked them or not but Naruto loved them and they seemed to listen to the little blonde. She couldn't just run away, and she couldn't seal them.

Kin rubbed her head and sighed as the bells zipped across the floor to sit at her feet. She still wasn't used to them and the odd warmth they radiated bungled her senses. It wasn't evil, per say, but it wasn't good either. She didn't even feel right calling it chakra. It was more like anti-chakra if such a thing was possible.

Her dark eyes drifted to the pages of notes littering her desk. Sealing was a complicated art; a simple storage seal could be used to theoretically store anything, but often failed for reasons unknown. Certain objects would decay at faster rates when sealed, and some would be completely absorbed into the seal to never come out. As disturbing as they could be, she couldn't just shut them up. She had to figure out a purpose for the tsukumogami.

The kunoichi was at an impasse. She couldn't improve any further on lock picking without experience, and she couldn't study sealing any further without new books or outside tutelage but she didn't know anyone. Her glyphs were better, she wasn't smudging strokes into each other anymore, but her knowledge was limited and she didn't dare experiment. _Why are all the great seal masters dead or paranoid?_

A dull knock came from her feet as the clapper inside one bell knocked against the wall while it rubbed her feet. _Great. Now it's acting like a bloody cat._ Kin shook it off her leg and began pacing the room in thought. Back to the current problem; what could she do about them? _They did pretty well against the ghost guy, but how many times am I going to fight something like that? They can't be used as musical instruments, for obvious reasons. _The girl turned and noted that the pair was following her steps, the sanded handles bobbing back and forth as they moved. It was kind of cute. Kind of. _Can't be used as messengers. Anyone not acquainted with them would freak out. I would have. They're monster bells! _Kin stopped as realization hit her. She wasn't sure if it would work, using something that was semi-living as a medium, but it worked with her old silver bells. Then again, there was no reason to try and switch tools when her genjutsu worked just fine with the small ringers.

Kin slowly lowered herself to the floor and patted her thigh. A few muscle groups protested at her crouching but she could care less; it wasn't near as bad as it had been three days ago. _That's what happens when you overload the body with chakra. _"Alright you two," the bells surged forward but slowed enough to gently lower themselves into her lap. _Couple of dogs indeed. _"Here's the proposal. I can't have a couple of useless pets, and that's exactly what you've been acting like! So, I'm willing to try fighting with you. How would you like that?"

The girl was surprised at the answer as she hadn't expected one. The two bells disappeared from her lap and positioned themselves among her scattered kunai and ninja pouch. Even as she walked towards the door to get more muscle relaxant they didn't move from the spot. _So that's that then. I wonder what kind of attacks I can make with a spirit._

It would be several years before Kin understood that ultimately all things wish to be useful, and this holds true even more to the realm of household items. A spoon exists to scoop and if it doesn't it has no reason to be. Tsukumogami may be twisted, but they still hold onto their purposes from before awakening. To be used, to be valued, is one desire that never dies. The bells may not be used to make music anymore but for the one that cared about them, they could still be useful. They would be weapons.

* * *

Pure water is neutral. That was Hinata's first lesson about her element affinity. Her second lesson was that while she could use her own body fluids and what could easily be pulled from her environment using someone else's was near impossible. It was all about different chakra as everyone's was unique. The saturation of the others chakra prevented her from directing the water in their bodies, even the sweat dripping off during a fight was off limits.

Hinata really hated that fact.

She flipped to the side and kept her distance from the attacker trying to decide which style would be better suited to the situation. Her team had gotten it's first C-rank, a simple border patrol along the Fire-Rice line that was intended more to familiarize them with the territory than anything else, but then they saw the bandits.

It was a smaller group than usual, Kurenai-sensei claimed, but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in skill. A nuke-nin from grass lead them and made sure they all had rudimentary chakra training. What resulted from that was a group of thieves and murderers that were faster, stronger, and utterly unexpected. While sensei went after the renegade Grass shinobi -_ten thousand Ryo bounty!- _Kiba, Shino, and Hinata were to take out the bandits.

Five converged on Hinata and she was able to take one out immediately with well placed jyuken strikes, but the others saw what happened and changed tactics. _They're much smarter than the stories I've heard._

The bandits moved sloppily using hit and run tactics. She had no problem keeping track of them through the dense trees and dodged all their weapons with the aid of her eyes. Her left hand weaved through a series of half hand seals, her other was occupied with a kunai for deflection, and settled on tiger. Water burst out of the gourd on her hip and twirled out forming a snake like whip.

Not many people appreciated how strong water could become, and when the next bandit leapt out swinging his sword wildly he didn't expect the water whip to do much damage. Hinata groaned with the exertion of the control and amount of chakra necessary to maintain the jutsu, it was similar to the advanced jounin-level water dragon, but she needed to lower their numbers fast.

A bandit lunged, face twisted in a leer, and swiped with his sword. Hinata flicked her wrist as the stream of water crashed against the man. The water rebounded off the bandit's skin and clothing as if they were oil and snaked around. Within seconds lines of liquid spilt off forming tiny chains which Hinata used to pull the bandit, now cursing, toward her while she went in for a jyuken strike to his temple. As he fell so too did his liquid binds. The Hyuuga couldn't maintain the jutsu and expel chakra for her family technique at the same time.

Dirt crunched beneath her sandals as she moved around the large man to use him as a shield. Two more attacked together and she kicked her unconscious captive at a dagger wielding boy. He ducked to the side and released a throwing knife that sliced her cheek, dangerously close to her eye.

Hinata pushed chakra to her feet and jumped up with one hand covering the cut. She was forced to deactivate her byakugan as the cut had hit one of the outer veins, allowing far too much blood to spill out. The three remaining bandits followed her, their movements in the trees clumsy and loud compared to her, and they continued their barrage of throwing weapons.

_How many do they have??_ Of course she clearly remembered the bandoliers of shuriken and kunai two of them had strung about their torsos. The small knives embedded themselves into the bark at her feet as she front flipped downward to dodge the shoddy attacks. She used the hang time to fish a roll of bandages from her pouch and hit the ground running, her hands working furiously to wrap the small injury. Unless it was sealed she wouldn't be able to use her eyes, and without them they had the advantage in the trees. _I used too much chakra on the water rope._

"Now, now, girl. Calm down. We wouldn't want to scar that face of yours any more than it already is." A bandit with a slash across his forehead joked while hefting a chipped battle axe.

Hinata swallowed, tired and nervous, as the remaining trio circled her. Too late she saw what had happened; they'd corralled her. They wouldn't try for direct hand-to-hand, and the area they'd lured her to was far too dry to attempt drawing water form it.

The one to her right was spinning a kunai around his finger. "You can't last much longer little sister."

Little. Weak. _I'm so useless._ Her shoulders sagged and her lip trembled. A sound came from the left, a soft jingle of metal on metal, and her head whipped to the side to see the third inching closer. _At this rate, at this rate... I can't win._ Her fathers comments flashed in her head. No one at home would miss her. Oh, they might mourn the loss of her unsealed eyes to the enemy, but they wouldn't miss her. Shino and Kiba probably already defeated their opponents. _Shino... and Kiba._ Kiba had a nice family. His mother had really acted like she liked her._ They would miss me. Wouldn't they? Yes. We're a team now. I'm part of a team, my strength is their strength._

Hinata calmed her nerves and took a few steps back, attempting to regain her bearings. Briefly she recalled the time when a short blonde, blue eyed boy out witted and outran an entire team of ANBU. He certainly wouldn't have given up. _If you lose here, Hinata, who will find him? _The petite girl wiped the thin line of sweat and blood from her face and took her traditional fighting stance, arms held away from her body and feet parallel as if in a line. She glared at the presumed leader.

"I-I'm not done yet."

* * *

The cave had been thoroughly searched, and Onna as well as her team were appalled at Konoha's lax security. No less than twenty three corpses had been discovered as well as one malnourished and scared little boy that didn't talk; he yowled and tried to claw at anyone who came close. Clearly illegal experimentation had been going on and kidnapped children had been used.

Onna's memory connected one strawberry blonde corpse to a missing persons report that had been lodged by a minor trader three years ago. Mizuki, and whoever worked with him, had been working for an unknown amount of time. She'd get them, eventually. Already clues to who it could be were found in the hidden lab, and she a number of people analyzing the data with shinobi profiles active and non.

"Looks like he had a penchant for blondes." Her commander commented as he reviewed the coded report. The code utilized was one used only for classified levels and had no written key; everyone that would need to read it either memorized the code or had someone else decode it for them.

"It appears so, though the survivors natural hair color is undetermined." Onna only added that bit as it wasn't in the report. She stood at attention and waited as Ibiki continued reading. For a moment she wondered if he was part of the conspiracy, before discarding the idea. Ibiki had a history of violent outbursts but extreme loyalty. His threat level was high but unlikely.

Ibiki leaned back in his desk and propped his boots up on the table. It'd been several weeks since he sent Onna on her ferreting mission and only now she was reporting in. Of course she didn't like to report unless she had substantial information. "Has the boy showed any signs of lucidity?"

"Yuuhi-san is the only one that has been able to have any meaningful interaction with him using her genjutsu, but he has yet to give any information."

Ibiki thought. The kid was a lost cause. Whatever process that was used had been intended to bestow the user with a stronger body and quicker reflexes, and judging for the child and the remaining skeletons the power was animal based. At least one cause of death had been simple organ failure as the animal traits shifted important bits out of alignment and fused things together that ought not be.

Trial and error was quick, but often resulted in dead test subjects.

_So young, and so tragic._ Ibiki sighed as he thought about the one survivor. The boy's skeleton had somehow lengthened and his eyes had a permanent cat slit to them. The doctor on hand claimed he had the beginning of a tail growing and his vocal cords were so stretched and scarred it was amazing he could make any sound at all. He was only six, and with all the physical changes it was impossible to ID him.

It was times like this that Ibiki hated being commander. It was his decision to make, and he didn't want to make it, but it was practical. They lacked the resources to reverse the transformation and doing so would likely prove fatal in any case. They couldn't take care of a half human, half tiger child. _Not without risking revealing our suspicions and possibly warning the culprit. _"Onna, what would you say to the... risk factor of the boy?"

The woman narrowed her eyes marginally. "I do not understand the question."

"His combat effectiveness."

"He has unusually good reflexes and situational awareness for his age. Likely due to the experimentation. His strength changes on mood, his chakra level varies but has been seen to cap at upper genin level. He uses it to enhance his own movements much like the Inuzuka."

"Interesting." Ibiki flipped to the back of the report to see a picture of the child in question. He was under sedation for the photo, lips held back to show the unnatural sharp teeth and jaw line. He'd been found in a cramped chakra-enforced cage and when placed in enclosed rooms he went berserk. Ibiki clicked his pen to get the tip out and began filling out a form. In code of course. "Have him moved to training area 44 and introduced to the tigers there. If he manages to make a place for himself, great, if not?" Ibiki checked a box and signed his name.

The jounin wasn't afraid of blood and though he had a soft spot for children it never hampered his work. Not when Konoha was at stake, and not when traitors were running about free, but there were more factors to consider. The Hokage was getting soft and would no doubt balk at the thought of killing a child as he had with the jinchurriki. The tiger herd in the forest of death was known for taking full fledged jounin on occasion; they'd give anyone after Mizuki's atrocious method of power trouble. _Until we know who it is the cells aren't safe, and he'd be happier outside. _If the boy didn't get along with the animals he'd have to be put down as they would have no other option.

Onna gave a respectful nod, gathered the required forms, and left. Ibiki rubbed his chin, felt the stubble from too many all-nighters reading through the reports, and took his razor from a drawer. Normally reserved for interrogating with flare, the blade might actually see it's original purpose. _Meeting with the Hokage in an hour. Shit. _Ibiki really hated having to explain his reasoning to men that knew jutsu's for flaying a human alive in three seconds flat.

* * *

Haku's room looked nothing at all like a bedroom, probably because there was no clear bed. There also was a noticeable lack of closet. The ice user preferred it that way, and had moved several pieces of furniture from the various sitting rooms of their temporary base.

An array of glass plates and vials stood at attention, as well as a plate of cookies. Haku tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from his pony tail behind his ear and continued grinding away at the chunks of bark in his mortar and pestle while nibbling on a cookie. All was well in his world. A purple syrup was slowing coming to boil on a hot plate, a mixture with bits of tuber still floating around made from the roots acquired in Takara. The medicines were coming along nicely and the cookies that Saiga-dono's servants made were excellent. Almost like the ones his mother used to make.

"Hey, Haku-kun." A voice sounding like a pained blonde Haku had come to love came from the door. Strange. Naruto's injuries healed tended to heal quickly and the boy had claimed to never get sick. _At least, not that he can remember_.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Haku turned, his back cracking as he twisted, and looked to see what he surmised to be a clone. There was certain, something, in the demeanor of Naruto's clones that gave them away. It was hard for him to put a name to it but if he had to he'd call it a vicious devotion.

The clone's eyes were shielded with a hand as he entered the brightly lit room. "Naruto-kun isn't feeling well. Do you have anything for head pains?"

That was another weird thing about Naruto's clones. Zabuza learned the Kage Bushin easily though he didn't have the chakra capacity to make in the sheer amounts Naruto did, but his were exact copies. Sure, all clones looked like the original but they all acted as if they _were _the original; barely giving difference to their creator. Haku had only been able to manage one clone, and it wasn't nearly as obstinate as Zabuza's had been. Privately, the effeminate boy thought it was a personality issue.

Still, it didn't explain the discrepancies between the blonde and his clones. The scroll warned about the hazards of the Kage Bushin, mutiny and chakra exhaustion foremost, but said nothing about the odd behavior Naruto's clones exhibited. The only explanation Haku could come up with was that there was _something_ else mixed in. But of course, that was impossible. Right?

"You mean headache? I'm sure if Naruto-kun takes a nap it will leave on it's own. He has been staying up rather late, recently." Haku shrugged and added a few drop of water into the mortar as he ground the bark down.

"Well," the clone fidgeted. "It's really _really_ bad. Makes it hard to think."

"A migraine then." Haku set his instruments down and grabbed another cookie. _Pain reliever to increase blood flow might work. _Brown eyes looked over the coffee table turned lab desk. Several glass vials stood empty, waiting. _I have been meaning to get some samples._ "All right. I should have something here, where is he?"

* * *

For the sake of expediency, Kiba had used the shikyaku jutsu, four legs technique, immediately before going into battle with the four bandits that decided to take him on. With the boost of sped and unexpected claws the bandits had a hard time deciding how to engage him, not to mention Akamaru. Evidently they'd never fought an Inuzuka before, or any one that used animal partners.

Kiba charged into battle, jumped over a slash aimed at his feet, and brutally clawed at his opponents eyes. The screams resounded in his now sensitive ears forcing him back, briefly, before the Inuzuka crouched and bounded upwards to think. The bandit was kneeling on the ground and clutching at his face screaming bloody murder as a white gel leaked between his fingers. "You fucking brat! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Kiba smirked and twisted away from a wildly thrown dagger. _I think I got his eye. _ He ducked and ran again, this time using the tree trunks as spring boards to confuse the three remaining. Akamaru caught on and did the same, his small white form an even harder target, before diving in and biting at any exposed skin he could.

Chakra coursed through the ninja's body as he moved around his opponents in a chaotic series of dodges that brought him closer to the enemy. He was surprised by the minimal level of chakra manipulation the bandits showed but it didn't bother him. He palmed a kunai and passed it to Akamaru who easily caught the handle in his mouth before leaping to engage his opponent.

_Two left for me._ Kiba blocked a sudden punch at his face, and barked out a laugh as the veiled man retracted his now bloodied arm. Kiba's claws shredded the fabric of his shirt and cut the skin easily. He couldn't help gloating as he paused long enough to hold up his hand. "What do you think? If you want to disarm me, you'll have to disarm me!"

"It would be my pleasure."

They clashed again, two on one, and Kiba loved it. He took a kick to the ribs but with the chakra running through him from his family jutsu the damage done was ignorable for the time being. He taunted them as he fought, imagined the hair on their necks standing up in indignation, and laughed as he ducked an attack and kicked up into the man's solar plexus. They were getting angry, and angry bandits made stupid bandits. Stupid bandits made mistakes.

"What?!" A bandit screamed in pain as Akamaru broke from his cover, kunai bloody but still sharp, and ran through the fight staying low. The small blade cut through the bandits Achilles causing him to fall to one side which Kiba immediately took advantage of to knock him out with a solid blow to the head.

"Good work boy!" Kiba saluted the small animal as he turned all his attention to the final member of the bandits. He clapped his hands together, "Tsuuga!"

A spinning ball of Kiba broke through the bandits defense and drilled into him, cracking bone and bruising. As the man finally collapsed to the ground Kiba spun out, swaying for a moment in the after effect of the high-speed jutsu. Akamaru whined in question as Kiba dropped to the ground and patted his friend on the hand. "Mom was right. We're going to have to practice this, the world keeps spinning!"

"Rarf Rarf!"

"Yeah, they were pretty stupid. And you need a bath."

"Raaarf!"

"Don't blame me when all that blood starts matting."

"Rarf."

"I guess you're right. I think I can stand up now." Kiba jumped up and sniffed at the air. He grinned and jumped to the trees, his four legs technique still active, and followed Hinata's scent. She had the largest number of bandits to deal with and would no doubt appreciate a little help. The Inuzuka popped half a solider pill in his mouth. He'd be sore as hell in the morning with low chakra reserves, but better then than now.

He motioned with a hand calling for the puppy to circle around before bursting from the tree line and running flat out into the back of a short-sword wielding bandit. He heard something snap. "Yo, Hinata!" He waved and climbed off the moaning man.

The girl blinked before waving slowly back as if unsure. "Hello, Kiba-kun."

The bandits steamed and charged, one for each genin. Kiba jumped up, kicked his opponent in the head, back flipped, and dug a kunai into the man's thigh. Akamaru teamed up with Hinata and helped distract the man long enough for kunoichi to get in close and hit his lungs. Unable to breath properly he dropped to one knee gasping.

"T-thank you, Kiba-kun, Akamaru-kun." Hinata called while kicking away the bandit's main weapon; a battle axe.

Kiba relaxed as he tied up the still living bandits and his jutsu dropped. He groaned as a thousand little hurts made themselves known without the chakra buffer blocking them out. "It was no problem. I mean," wince, "we're a team."

Hinata nodded.

"Let's go find sensei and Shino."

She nodded again and made to follow her teammate, but she paused long enough to send a swift kick to the unconscious bandit's ribs. Unprofessional, but satisfying.

* * *

Shino quickly dispatched the bandits 'assigned' to him. His bugs dispersed into the environment and quickly drained the wandering criminals. They had more energy than the average bandit, at least if what his father had told him was any indication, but they still went down. It wasn't until there was only two left that they realized what was happening and by then the Kakai were drifting from their unconscious comrades to swarm the remaining combatants.

It had been a quick battle but served as a good exercise in controlling his allies while dealing with multiple targets.

Now he walked toward where his allies told him Kurenai-sensei was dealing with the Grass nuke-nin. Shino adjusted his glasses as he noticed a burnt patch of earth. _Fire jutsu_. Shino increased his pace, but he was in no hurry. _Sensei is a jounin, fully capable of handling herself. _

As the last of his hive returned to his body he took to the faster mode of travel, tree hopping, and soon heard the sounds of shouting. He concealed himself among the leaves and watched as the dark haired beauty of a kunoichi crouch close to the ground. The air was hazy, the tale-tell sign of a genjutsu, and the Grass nin was failing around attacking imagined opponents.

Kurenai occasionally flicked out a shuriken to add real pain to the illusion and keep the foreign ninja on his toes. She danced out of range as if playing cat and mouse with him. It was cruel in a way how she dragged out the death; Kurenai already told them she intended to collect the bounty on his head.

The ninja weaved his fingers together creating a storm of leaves that swirled through the air like a hurricane. _He's realized it's a genjutsu- he's hoping to get her in an area attack._ The jounin shrugged off the attack and slipped out of the storm with a replacement, appearing behind the run-away.

Just as he broke the genjutsu she cast on him, Kurenai shoved a thin blade into the back of his neck and up into his brain stem. He dropped to the ground as a cooling corpse.

"Shino-kun."

"Yes, sensei?"

Kurenai cleaned off her blade and replaced it in the holster hidden under her sleeve. "Please find your teammates."

"Yes, sensei." Shino listened to the instructions his bugs passed back to him on the location of his teammates, and tuned out the sounds behind him of his teacher gutting the corpse for transport.

* * *

Naruto groaned and fumbled through the kitchen in their new house. Saiga-sama had given it to them for the duration of their stay in the area as a show of appreciation, but it was a little on the big side. Naruto wasn't used to big houses. At least not living in them.

"Where's the damn milk." He muttered as a pulled open the fridge. Various juices stared back at him, but the milk was elusive. He squinted and groaned digging his knuckles into the side of his head. He'd been having headaches off and on for the past few weeks, and for the most part he ignored them, but now they'd reached epic proportions.

He made a clone and sent it off for pain killers.

The heels of his palms pressed into his closed eyes in an attempt to relieve the hated throbbing. Colors exploded behind his eyelids. He saw trees, and it filled him with peace. _Konoha will be getting nice breezes about now. _

"But it's still filled with shit." The voice angrily halted his thoughts and the pain increased. Naruto groaned as his clone returned with Haku, who shined a light in his eyes and clucked his tongue in disapproval. Naruto watched as Haku sorted out some small white pills from a bag. The blonde watched the other boy work at crushing the pills as an overwhelming urge built up to go home.

But Konoha wasn't his home, was it? He liked living with Haku, and Kin, and even Zabuza despite his aloof attitude. The missing-nin was a good teacher and actually appreciated him. So why did he want to go home? No one liked him there.

Haku took out a scalpel and bowl. "Naruto-kun, I would like to take a sample of your blood. Would you mind?"

The younger boy narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The headache marginally lessened. _Could he really trust them_, it seemed to be asking. But he had no reason not to. "You aren't going to use a needle like the doctors, are you?"

"No. I'm going to make a small cut here," Haku tapped the small surgical knife against his arm close the wrist. "and catch the blood with this."

"Okay." Naruto held out his arm, giving only a small flinch as the knife cut through his skin. As the blood flowed over his skin Naruto giggled. It felt like warm silk was running out of him and into the bowl. "That feels weird."

"I would expect so." Haku set the bowl on the table and handed Naruto the drink he had prepared only moments earlier. The dark haired boy turned the already healing wrist this way and that, eyes bright with fascination. "It seems as though your skin isn't wholly immune to the corrosive properties in your blood. A thin layer is dissolved, but the healing factor of your bloodline more than makes up for it."

Naruto chugged the drink, smacked his lips at the chalky after taste, and shrugged. "So what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. I'll run a few tests. Meanwhile you should get some rest." Brown eyes softened. "I know you've been working hard, but it won't help anyone if you collapse on us."

Naruto smiled and nodded, his eyes drooping with exhaustion as he wandered back to his room. He just wanted to get better! Stronger! Faster! Then again, no one ever told him to take care of himself before; he had always trained until he dropped. But he didn't know why he was getting headaches. _Still, I can't let them down! I'll take a nap, and then, look over those techniques. _Naruto burrowed under the covers of his bed, easily ignoring the annoyed whispers of his conscience as it grumbled about meddlesome humans and contingency plans.

* * *

They danced and laughed around the room as the music played. As always the mood was light in The Angels Blessing. If someone was to enter the simple modest door and see the various men and women dancing barefoot to the soft jingle of tambourines and whisper of flutes, and the steady notes singing out from a single harp it would be hard to guess the true nature of the business. Walking into the newly renovated rooms was akin to passing through a portal to another world.

A small girl dressed in white silks with silver ribbons wound through her hair stood near the musicians, all women, and began singing. With her small hands clasped together as if in prayer and her eyes fluttering softly she resembled the contemporary angel. "_Fendia queti melia, Dufarius quenti formi, Lemidius lundwe..."_. None of them were of the caliber to play professionally, but with a little wine the music spilling from their hobby transformed for their listeners into performances given only by the great masters.

Those lounging around the perimeter of the room on couches and chairs looked up from their drinks appreciatively. Leslie raised her own glass of light wine toward the young girl. _She had been wasted in the kitchens._

The red haired woman watched with a smile as her dream played out. Clients sat or danced with her girls to the music. She watched as a shapely body swayed back and forth making the tiny bells sewn into belt chime. It was the ideal atmosphere to relax and forget the world; to let troubles drift back.

The harp began to dim down drawing her attention back to the stage area. One of the younger clients was whispering into the harp players ear and toying with her hair. The player giggled and finished the line before drawing the man off to the bedrooms. The rest of the players continued as if she was still there, not feeling at all upset about being abandoned. They would have done the same.

"Miss Fujiko." One of her newer employees spoke as she slid sinuously into the seat next to Leslie. "There is a man at the door."

Leslie hmmed to signal she heard while continuing to listen to Rakka's baby. The little girl loved the attention and she sung beautifully. Most prostitutes in a controlled brothel didn't have children; they had to use IUD's to prevent conception, so when a child was conceived it was rare. Those carried to term, even fewer than conceived, were often kept out of sight. A brothel filled with children did not attract clients.

"_Faquana belinga, belinga, aaaaah. Faquana belinga. belinga. Aaaaaaaah. Berque ti us..."_

Leslie moved to the music, her favorite song, weaving and bobbing her head in time to the soft notes. "Who is it?"

The woman shrugged. "Some guy representing someone else. Though," the woman paused as if unsure of herself. She had yet to determine the level of familiarity Leslie expected and didn't want to step out of line. The Angels Blessing was one of the best places she'd worked at for a variety of reasons. Sighing, she continued. "I don't like him. He's one of those guys you just want to get done and out of the house as soon as possible."

"I understand." The Madame peered into her drink, and downed it. "I'll handle it." She stood and moved through the crowd of people, absently noting how the number of people had decreased, and entered the short hallway that lead to the foyer. Her shadow appeared at her side.

"Eitsuko is keeping him company." Samuari-san commented. One hand was resting on his swords. Leslie adjusted her shirt and smoothed her skirt. She flung a thin shawl around her shoulders and stopped at a mirror to check her hair. Nothing was mussed any more than expected.

"What do you think of him, Samurai-san?"

"I wouldn't miss him."

_That can mean many things. _She opened the door slowly and stepped harder than necessary. The wooden boards under her feet let out soft thumps loud enough to alert the two occupants. Eitsuko was an older woman but had been blessed with good genes and had taken care of herself. She looked twenty years younger than she was and gave off a cheerful smile of surprise at Leslie's footsteps.

Eitsuko climbed out of the man's lap and giggled. "Ne! Fujiko-san, you're here early." _Late._

"I couldn't keep my best girl tied up, could I?"_ Would you want to deal with trash like this?_ The red head entered and selected a seat at the small table near the wall rather than the recently vacated couch. She was followed closely by the samurai who took up a position in the corner.

The brunette skipped out, shutting the door behind her. Leslie turned her attention to the man sitting calmly on the loveseat; dress shirt halfway unbuttoned, and immediately disliked him. She easily covered her animosity with years of practice and smiled slyly. His hair was too neat. His clothing to professional. The blue leather briefcase sitting innocently at his feet annoyed her.

"Would you join me?" Leslie asked while taking a teapot off its small electric warning plate. She scooped some leaves from their jar and placed them in the strainer as he moved over to the little table. He took the briefcase with him.

"If you don't mind." The words rolled of his tongue easily. He was a man used to getting what he wanted. Used to being in control. He pulled out his chair and sat comfortably. "I represent Yuuri Etou. He owns quite a few hotels in Takara and several in other nations as well."

_Is that supposed to make me impressed?_ _Intimidate me?_ Leslie glanced about the room to convey her disinterest, she was only there to get him out of her establishment, when her eyes settled on the stuffed sanbi that she'd placed on an improvised shrine. Donna thought it would make an interesting conversation piece is nothing else.

The man followed her gaze to the doll but then ignored it. "It has recently come to my employer's attention that you have been sheltering a young girl, poor lost little thing, and he would like to award you with a small sum for taking care of her." The man placed the briefcase on the table. "He has been worried about her, you see, for her parents left her in his care before they tragically passed away."

"I see." She poured the tea and lifted the sugar bowl in askance. He pointed to the cream. She added the extra's in silence, thinking. The girl her friend had brought in was doing better, she could stand to be in the presence of men, but she didn't talk and she only really interacted with Donna or the young girl singing in the welcome chambers. "I was under the impression that the, poor thing, had been injured. We've been trying to nurse her back to health."

"Which my employer thanks you deeply for. She had been so heart broken when her parents died, but he would like to have the matter settled quickly. You understand?" He opened the case and pushed it toward her before sipping from his cup. He was so composed Leslie had no doubt that he'd done the same in similar situations. She ran her hands over the bills, throat constricting at the sheer amount present.

It was enough to erase all her debt from the renovations, and then some. She could like off of it for several months even if she didn't get a single customer. _No. This is a test._ The grey-green bills stared up at her.

She snapped shut the case, still staring at the blue leather. "I'm afraid," she picked up her cup and shifted her gaze to the steaming liquid._ I have a duty to these girls. I will do it. This is the path I've been put on._ "I cannot accept this." She held the cup to her lips and closed her eyes.

There was a thud. When she opened her eyes she found herself sitting across from headless corpse of the unknown man. Blood trickled from his neck. Leslie's cup settled back into its saucer with a clatter as her hands shook. She took a breath, counting in her head.

"Please. Strip the body, dump both him and the money." She was regaining control of her emotions. Her angel wouldn't have balked at killing. So shouldn't she. It was necessary; she didn't yet have the ability to openly fight the stronger power. Murders were common in Takara, nothing out of the ordinary would be expected from the messenger going missing.

The samurai watched her with an expression less gaze and nodded.

Leslie looked at the makeshift shrine across the room. The plush stared back at her. She whispered to no one in particular, "I think. I think I want to go to the coast. Soon."

* * *

They stuck to the shadows as was the habit of the lithe rodents. Traveling along the thick wires they tried to keep out of sight, though it was unlikely anyone would look at them anyway, but no chances would be taken. Squirrels and rats seldom associated beyond calling each other names and stealing food stashes; to see a trail of no less than twenty squirrels silently following a set of thin tailed guides would have caused any human to stop and think. _At least that's what Squash said._

One rat closer to the back with a shortened tail quickly leapt off the electrical line and scrabbled for purchase against a cement building. A quatrain of squirrels followed suit. Their tiny claws suited perfectly for finding the hairline cracks that covered the buildings and using them as footholds. They didn't even need chakra as human did, though all of them could use it.

As the group of five continued on their course up the building the larger force headed for their own destinations. Two more groups split off on the way, one entering an abandoned house and another diving into a sewer entrance. The last lead rat left the line and dropped down onto the roof street stand and dived into the bushes. The squirrels paused for a moment at the ledge of the roof before breaking formation and running about. They chittered and tagged each other causing a few civilians to look up in surprise and see the group of squirrels chasing each other.

They zipped down the wall and jumped before ducking towards the small park. Laughter followed them as they ran their distraction.

The rat watched from a thin blanket of dead leaves as a raccoon slunk down a tree. "Certainly are energetic, aren't they."

"It's a little annoying." The female rat admitted. "Did you get that thing that you needed?"

"'Course." Squash replied with a sneer, although it would have been hard to tell under all the fur, and turned to cut through the bushes into an alley. Fickle shot after him, without her unborn weighing her down and the advantage of chakra she was nothing but a black blur. The squirrels played their game, distracting the humans from the pair as they made their way up a nondescript building.

The squirrels snuck away from their game of distraction one at time and joined the pair on the roof. The animals surrounded a grate marveling at the heated air passing out of it. "What what?" The squirrels queried. They had not been told the details of their mission mainly because those in charge didn't feel like explaining it to the excitable creatures.

Fickle twisted in agitation. She didn't like being out in the open on the roof, didn't like the sun highlighting her position, and turned her nose up at the metal grating. "I could get through that easily."

Squash brought out a screwdriver from where he had hidden it and shrugged. _Typical self-absorbed rat._ "You can. We can't. Not everyone has freaking noodles for bones." The raccoon then proceeded to fit the crosshead into the indentation on the screw and turn. It was a slow process mainly because his hands were so small.

The squirrels chittered happily. They watched the ring tail work, fascinated, and asked questions. Squash answered them lazily and put the grate aside before lifting the loosened bolts. "Remember, be quiet. I don't want any of you getting 'ur heads blown off. And try to keep claws in! You wouldn't believe how well metal carries sound."

They vanished into the vent.

* * *

Zabuza slouched on the leather couch relaxed but ready, his clever within easy reach. He watched as the ceiling fan made slow circles against the emotionless white background. "Everything went according to plan." It was more of a statement than a question, the ninja doubted that with all they went through to get the document Saiga's plan would end up failing.

"As best as can be expected." The now official Lord gave an uncharacteristic smirk of smugness. "They didn't want to admit it, it was like pulling teeth, but the seal was there. Once they corroborated the tree on the scroll with their own documents they had no leg to stand on denying me my place."

"I always hated bureaucrats and red tape."

"Necessary evil." Saiga replied coolly as he motioned for the blinds to be raised. A servant girl in a soft pink kimono stood and went to the wall. She twisted the thin cord allowing sun to stream in the room. "And you're plans, Zabuza-san?"

"You know my plans." Zabuza moved from his slumped posture into a straighter one, cold eyes staring at the older man. "I trust I have your backing."

"Of course, I owe you a debt of gratitude." Saiga nodded and raised a small cup of sake to his guest. "But you've tried it before. What can you do differently that will ensure success?"

"I didn't activate all my contacts last time; they will come to my side if I call. Besides, I have new tools this time, one's that he won't expect."

"Then I cannot convince you otherwise? As a fledging lord," Saiga's brow creased showing what he thought of that phrase -he'd been running his fiefdom for years!- and glanced out the window at the descending sun. "Having a shinobi clan, as much as you are, on staff would be highly beneficiary."

"If you truly believe that then I'll send some over as soon as I've consolidated my power. As a gesture of trust and friendship of course." Zabuza's gruff voice gave way to humor. Saiga let out a snort and held up a finger. A man waiting near the door rose and brought forward a stack of papers.

Saiga took them and glanced over them once before laying them out on the table. "I've booked passage for you on a shipping vessel, the _Dream Eater_. It will not land for another week, so you will have to wait, but it will then travel directly to Water. It should pass close enough to Mist to make hiring another ship unnecessary." Saiga continued answering an unvoiced question. "You could leave tomorrow, but then you would have to change vessels twice. Also, there is the danger of running into a ship belonging to the Gato Corporation. They have been expanding using a small country as their base, as I'm sure you are aware of, and tend to harass the smaller ships that enter their waters. _Dream Eater_ is rather big."

"I see." Zabuza reached for the papers, forged travel documents as well as the schematics for the ship they would be taking. "It's been four years. I suppose a few more days wouldn't hurt."

"Is there anything else, Zabuza-san?"

"Not that I can think of." The two men sat in comfortable silence enjoying the sunset, each pondering what it meant to have power. Servants came and left with diner, but neither spoke through the meal.

_There will be blood. _Zabuza grinned at the thought. Blood was one of those necessary evils. To truly gain control of Mist, there would be blood. The traitors would die, and Mist would be his again. _The Village hidden in the Bloody Mist. The way it was meant to be._

_

* * *

  
_

_Oh, Sasuke-kun. Of course I'll bear your children. What's that? You wouldn't mind if they had my eyes instead of yours? You flirt._ Sakura giggled as her dream started to fade with the approach of the waking world. She'd fallen asleep training. It was a little depressing that her team didn't find her, but then it wasn't like the D-ranks they had planned required that much man-power.

Her green eyes opened to a dark sky filled with stars, which was strange as it had seemed brighter with them shut. And now that she thought about it she heard the distinct crackling of a fire.

"Good morning, kunoichi-chan."

Sakura bolted up red with embarrassment. _Oh my god! Sai would never stop teasing me if he found out about this. I can't believe I let my guard down so bad._ The pinkette blinked her eyes, her sleepy mind fully expecting some chunin or jounin on patrol that would admonish her. Instead as she stared across the small fire she found a girl not much older than herself.

"Um. Hi."

The girl gave her a bright smile and shrug while lifting a food bearing stick out of the fire. "Sweet potato?"

Her stomach growled reminding her of the brutal, to her, training session she'd undergone before taking her nap. A nap that had lengthened itself to take up the rest of her afternoon and part of the night. "If you don't mind…?"

"Tenten. Don't worry, I used to fall asleep out here myself. Still do, sometimes."

END.

**A/N- There are three chapters till this Arch ends. Woot woot. Also, contest! **

**Write a 'Story Thus Far' for the next chapter, basically a short summary of this chapter. Deadline will be when I get around to writing the next one. Winner will have their summary entered and a picture by me of Haku eating cookies. Though I will warn you lovely people right now I'm not the best artist, still, Haku eating cookies amuses me so. **

**Happy MLK Day…. It's milk day!!!! Love your cows!!!**


	16. Ship

**Four Letter Words**

**Story Thus Far- **

** Iruka pushed the Sacred Scroll into Naruto's hands and killed Mizuki at the cost of his limbs. Naruto flees the country all while leaving a trail of death in his wake as insanity inches closer. He endears himself to those he meets, and manages to fall in with the infamous Nuke-nin Zabuza of the Bloody Mist, who is determined to sharpen the boys skill and turn it to his own use. Kin defects from Sound and joins them with the potential to become a great Seal Mistress. Haku relishes the humanity in his new companions. **

** Meanwhile in Konoha the new Genin graduates train harder than before. Love drives some of them, revenge others. Ibiki broods as conspiracies are uncovered only to reveal even deeper rooted problems. **

**Chapter Fifteen: Ship**

The _Dream Eater _cut through the water like a great big whale as waves splashed against it on the journey to Tea Country. The ship had a small number of stops before it arrived on the island port but it would be a few more days before any of them came within sight. _Dream Eater_ had left any sight of land behind on the second day out, taking the long way around to avoid running into pirates or privateers, and looked highly out of place alone on the ocean.

Naruto stalked a pair of sailors from a pipe. He inched forward, eyes and ears alert, hanging to the slick curved surface with minimal chakra. One of the sailors was playing with a flat-head and cleaning oil from his fingernails while the other checked a pressure gauge. Their wasn't anything particularly interesting about the two but his conscience and Haku had double teamed him, unbeknown to one another, and insisted he practice the ninja arts; specifically stealth and tracking. How he was supposed to tracking on a boat in the middle of the ocean was beyond him but stealth was doable.

Half grinning, the orange clad boy hopped to the next pipe as he targets turned a corner. Even with the chakra technique to hold him, the smaller pipe groaned in protest of the new weight.

"Did you here something?" One of the sailors asked, suddenly suspicious as he shoved his screwdriver into his pocket. Naruto bit his lip and crossed his fingers. _Don't look up. Don't look up. Don't look up._

The darker sailor shrugged and stuck a stick of gum in his mouth while turning to check the corridor. "I don't see anything. Probably a rat. You're way too tense."

"I know… but you heard about the _Ginger Ale_. They said one of the crew had a fling and… her ghost came back and killed all his friends."

Naruto shivered at the mention of the ghosts and crept forward. He was now perched cautiously above them, heart hammering as he shifted, carefully. The two men seemed to forget the noise and go back to their shift. "Ghost Ship, yeah, heard the story. Didn't believe it."

"Hey, have you seen the crazy shit that those ninja do? I'm not taking anything for granted." As the man finished his statement with a glare to his partner, Naruto slid his feet around the pipe till he hung upside down.

As the men walked to the next junction the blonde reached out, fingers flicking forward to snatch the bit of leather poking out of the brunette's back pocket. Item secured. Naruto stuffed the wallet into his jacket and pulled himself up just before the man spun around, eyes narrowed.

"What is it _now?_"

"I thought I felt… never mind…" The man sighed and shrugged.

Naruto slapped his hand over his mouth to stop his laughter as the sailors continued their rounds, unaware of his actions. His conscience snorted in amusement and approval. "Good. But you could have done better. He shouldn't have felt anything."

"I just need more practice is all." Naruto whispered back as he began crawling back to the vent he came in from, his hand fishing out the wallet to check the insides. "Damn! This must have been the guy the dice players were complaining about."

"…Boy…"

"He's got way more on him than he should."

"You should pay attention."

Naruto looked up, curious as to what would have garnered the voice's attention. "What? I don't see anything." He flipped the leather wallet shut with a slight pop and shoved it in place, just as his left hand came down on a patch of condensation. Having lost control of his chakra, his hand slipped and Naruto let out a strangled shout as he fell from the pipe to land head first on the floor.

He cradled his head with his arms, headaches forgotten coming back full force.

"Hey! Passengers aren't supposed to be down here!"

Naruto looked up through blearily eyes at the annoyed crew members and cursed. In retrospect the blonde would realize that the best thing to do would be to turn himself over. The sailor hadn't realized his money was missing and wasn't too angry, the worst they would do was scold him and escort him back to the upper decks. Naruto, however, had grown up in Konoha where most people despised his existence and he spent most of his time avoiding those people and the shinobi they hired to hunt him down after a prank.

Naruto considered his pick-pocketing as a prank, and old habits die hard. He shouted something of a challenge at the two men and pelted down the hall. Never mind he wasn't familiar with the ship, never mind the enclosed space cut off the usual escape routes.

The sailors pounded down the corridor after him, partly because they were insulted, partly because they were bored.

* * *

It is never easy to tell someone that a loved one has died, be they family or friend. Even between shinobi who live with the knowledge that simply going to work can be hazardous, rivals from other villages would gladly remove them from the labor pool, it is no easier. The only difference between informing a civilian that their beloved and kind spouse/sibling/parent was killed in such a way as to make identifying the body next to impossible, was the emotional outburst. Genin tended to scream and deny it. Some chunin vowed revenge. Jounin stared ahead silently adding the name and face to their list of dead comrades.

ANBU were impossible to read. Sarutobi sat upright in his chair at his desk and observed the remainder of Rai's squad. They'd been anxious and inquiring for the past week or so, but confirmation had only recently arrived.

A scraped up dog mask and partially burned goat waited on his desk facing the trio. Sarutobi gestured to the two tell-tale signs of failure. "These arrived from the Hidden Sound three days ago, along with a message that the corpses have been 'courteously disposed of properly'."

"With all due respect, Sir, that is an obvious lie." Ayumu stated in a rapid monotone. Though his face was concealed by his frog mask, his hands were clenching and unclenching with the need for action. "No village would let anothers bodies go without through examination."

"I understand your concern, Kimi." Sarutobi glanced at the others, waiting for their reactions. Rabbit was staring at the damaged masks, lost, barely breathing. Bird simply waited. "But the bodies were found deep in foreign soil, they were supposedly found dead."

"Impossible. We weren't that far behind the, boy." Helios stated after receiving support from his remaining teammates. "They're saying the _dropout_ killed them. Even taking into consideration the chunin and jounin- Rai wouldn't have gone in half-cocked. They must have been ambushed by these," he paused to accentuate the sneer. "_Sound_ shinobi."

"Regardless of what may or may not have actually happened," The old man sighed and fingered his pipe; they would not like the ruling. It was times like this Sarutobi wished he could exchange his Hokage hat for the forehead protector of his youth. Every poor political decision could be blamed on youth, but it was his responsibility to see to these things. "The facts are clear. Konoha shinobi went out of Fire's borders without permission, and entered onto the lands of another Hidden Village, again without permission. They were no obligation to inform us of the deaths, and were even within rights to declare war."

Ayumu snorted and the voice scrambler interpreted like some sort of pig grunt. "As if some unknown village could threaten Konohagakure, I request permission for a espionage team to ascertain the situation." He finally stopped fidgeting and stood respectfully on the wooden floor, staring straight ahead. Experience told the old man that another of his subordinates had made up their mind to kill someone, though just who would be the target was a mystery. Sound, or Naruto-kun? _No. I can't think of him as Naruto-kun, at this point..._

"I do not expect you to understand the fine points of international politics, but as it stands Konoha policy states that an ANBU, or Hunter Unit, can only work outside of the village with all members."

Hyun stepped forward, bowed, and swept the two damaged masks from the table. He turned and walked _out the door._ His teammates followed the same exit route in a show of mourning. Most ninja left through the window or used a variation of the shushin out of habit.

Sarutobi placed his hat on the table and ran a withered hand over what remained of his hair. It was a little harsh to put things so bluntly, but they were not children.

A cool warm breeze entered through the cracked window, rustling papers and carrying with it the sounds of the village. _This time of peace, I will do everything I can to make it last as long as possible._

_

* * *

  
_

"It's so obvious! Why aren't we going in there?!" Hyun raged in their team barracks, a building reserved for on-call teams.

Ayumu sat cross-legged on his bunk with the now owner-less masks out before him. His eyes were unfocused as he mechanically hammered into the plaster with a kunai. He had thought he came to terms with loss when his jounin-sensei died on their first B-rank, but after working for years -years!- with the same group he thought they really had something. He had thought, hoped, that they would one of the lucky groups to make it to retirement intact.

As ANBU, Rai and Yuukou wouldn't be added to the memorial stone.

Hyun paced down the middle of their room, rabbit mask laying discarded on his rumpled bed, with his hands chopping the air for something to hit. "Damn it! She's probably in ten different jars by now, the vultures."

"We would have done the same thing, had it been one of their people." Helios commented quietly. He was leaning against the far wall watching Ayumu's progress on a vaguely square shaped outline in the plaster.

"This is different! You're acting like you don't care that Rai-san and Yuukou-san are being desecrated right now!" He deviated from his pacing and stepped up to Helios as if daring him to say otherwise.

The man in the bird mask sighed and raised his hand to remove it. He shook out his hair allowing dirty blonde threads to fall before his face as if to conceal it in place of the ANBU mask. "I care. But I know who to blame."

"What...?"

Ayumu spoke up suddenly as he began putting more force into his hits, driving the kunai halfway into the wall. His eyes were still glazed and he sounded like he wasn't fully awake. "It's the demon. It was playing us all for fools, this whole time. It stole the scroll, the key to unlocking the seal on it's body, and ran off. It is the reason they are dead."

The three men were silent for a time; the only sound the steady beating of the knife through plaster. Hyun sighed and sunk tiredly onto his best friend's cot. "Then we kill it." Wordlessly the other man nodded as he drove the kunai through one final time, and upon tilting it removed a section of wall between beams revealing a cubby. Together, the two friends reverently placed the ruined masks into the space with bowed heads. ANBU were not on the memorial stone, for they would be labeled as MIA, their identities a secret, but they would be remembered by their teammates.

Helios bowed his head to say a quick prayer as the dog and goat mask joined countless others that had gone into the walls of the building at one time or another. "They won't let us work until we fill our ranks again." The rule had been intended to allow an ANBU unit to sort through emotional difficulties, as well as give the illusion that they hadn't suffered losses. Someone else would dawn the mask and become part of the legend.

"I don't want to deal with any visionary rookies. We won't get anything done if we have to deal with them."

Ayumu set his frog mask in place and began sealing up the hole in the wall. "I think, I'm going to get some coffee." He stood and shook out the numbness in his legs. Hyun seethed inside, but nodded jerkily and requested a cup for himself. They had to figure things out.

"A full team is four, right?" Hyun asked Helios with a thoughtful expression as he looked at a photo sitting near Ayumu's bed. It was a simple photo taken a year into their ninja career when they were still on their genin team. All three of the genin were holding up the dogs they were supposed to walking and grinning, their sensei was sitting on hers and waving.

"ANBU usually work in five or six man teams."

"But we are officially complete with four. It shouldn't be too hard to get one more person."

Helios titled his head to the side in thought, nodded once, and disappeared. Once they got the fourth member they could run the customary association missions to get used to working with the new man, then start taking real missions. Preferably out of country.

_Rai, Yuukou. We will find him, and we'll kill him. We will avenge you._

_

* * *

_

Naruto was pouting, arms crossed and lip jutting out, as the panting crewmen led him away. The mechanic of the two rubbed the sweat from his forehead while keeping one hand on the boys shoulder; he didn't trust that the little blonde wouldn't run off again. The warmth from the man's hand was irritating to Naruto, but after near an hour of chase and hide-and-seek they had caught him. Though the ninja trained boy was smaller, faster, and possessed a greater stamina his unfamiliarity with the ship and the sheer determination of the two sailors won out and they cornered him.

The voice insisted that he could have fought and won, the bodies would be easy to conceal in the miles of water around them.

At the same time, neither Naruto or his conscience knew anything about the ship they were on or how it functioned. Should one of the crewmen be important to running the vessel, he would be screwed in more ways than one. Also, the voice commented in a _very_ scathing tone that if he was idiotic enough to get caught during his legerdemain by 'pathetic humans with no training' he deserved whatever punishment was coming. Perhaps it would serve as encouragement to do better.

In that vein of thought, though Naruto knew he could remove the offending hand with a quick twist, he didn't. He marched over dramatically as they narrowed the distance to the room he was sharing with Kin and the others and glared at the floor willing it to open up and swallow the living testaments to his failure. He felt much like he did back in Konoha when a prank went badly, only this time there wouldn't be any ramen with Iruka to soften the blow.

The second crewman frowned at the blonde boy as the preteen snorted and looked away. The man rapped on the steel door with one of Naruto's kunai; he had thrown them haphazardly down one of the corridors to throw off his pursuers and it hadn't worked. Surprisingly, it was Zabuza who answered the door half dressed. A towel was around his waist as he stared down at the trio. Naruto twisted away from the two and slipped in behind the still dripping swordsman.

Zabuza, hand he any, would have arched an eyebrow at the behavior. The skin above his eye twitched a little. "Gentlemen..?" He asked in a quiet but gruff voice as he absently shot out a hand to catch Naruto's sneaking form.

The man with the screwdriver thrust his hands into his pockets, wary about dealing with a mercenary ninja but determined to see things through, and shot a look at Naruto. "He was climbing around in the lower decks, without escort."

His companion rubbed a bruised elbow. "Not to mention his running around. We had to recruit help to track him down, and check all the pipes and pressure monitors."

"Oh?" Zabuza asked, his hand tightening slightly from where he grabbed Naruto. Blue eyes looked at the hand momentarily, noting old callouses and tiny cuts, as slightly pointed ears picked up on the amusement in the large man's voice. Vaguely, it reminded the boy of the only man that had cared about him, and he decided he didn't mind Zabuza's presence as much as he did a moment before.

"Yeah. Little brat was climbing all over the pipes! How some of them managed to support him..." the mechanic ground his teeth. "We'll be up all night checking for stress points."

"I see." Zabuza grinned, and without the bandages covering his mouth sharpened shark like teeth stunned the two men. "Rest assured I will deal with him."

The sailor swallowed, eyes not leaving the exposed teeth. "O-okay. So long as that's clear." He tore his eyes from Zabuza and fixed Naruto with a glare which the boy returned with a growl. "Stay out of trouble, got it, kid?"

Once the men were gone and the door shut, Zabuza rounded on the blonde brat he had picked up and Naruto was able to see Haku sharpening his senbon. The large man narrowed his eyes and took a stance, one fist on his hip to hold the towel in place. "What were you thinking? Really? You know how important tonight is, why go sneaking around?"

Naruto shrugged and looked away. "Haku told me I needed to practice my stealth, I figured following those two guys... and it's not like they figured out the important bit!"

Zabuza squatted so that he was eye level with the boy. He had shown up out of no where with so much potential it was ridiculous. His village had rejected him, from what Haku had gathered with subtle inquiry, possibly because he was unstable. Then again, it was the 'sane' shinobi that one had to watch out for. So the question was: what did this little blonde ball of death consider important? "Explain."

Instead of trying to talk the man to death, as was his usual routine, Naruto reached into his robe and fished out the small leather wallet before proffering it to the older man.

Zabuza accepted the item curiously and flipped it open immediately noticing the photo idea belonging to one of the men that had escorted his charge. He sent Naruto a questioning glance.

Naruto nodded.

Zabuza flipped through the bills.

Naruto nodded.

Zabuza's shoulders jerked as he stifled laughter and passed the wallet back to it's new owner. "Good, good job kid." He ruffled blonde locks and stood up. "Now-I believe Haku has been waiting to explain something."

Haku wiped the oil from the senbon he had been sharpening with a linen cloth and stretched. "It's about you, Naruto-kun, I've already spoken with Kin-chan." He paused as Naruto headed to the small bathroom attached to their sparse quarters as if to find said person. "She's out at the moment, but she had an interesting comment from when you 'helped' her out with her genin test. I noticed a few things myself and, well, you have the most interesting blood make up I've ever seen Naruto-kun. I wouldn't have even thought such a thing to be possible in the natural world."

Naruto's brow furrowed as Haku's words mingled with that of his conscience. Normally, he could distinguish them clearly, but it was agitated for some reason, and coming in poorly. "...huh?"

With a sigh, Haku stopped in his speech detailing the properties of the boys blood and how it probably acted as a catalyst in his sex/body changing bloodline. Zabuza-sama had understood everything, how the blood probably did something to allow for a more malleable form, but had only really cared about the warfare properties. Brown eyes stared into blue. _So old, and yet so simple... _"You have acid blood."

Naruto blinked, his face split into a wide grin seconds later. "Awesome!" On reflex, Haku had a senbon between his fingers and pricking Naruto's throat as the younger boy closed the distance between them and sat perched on Haku's knees. "That's so cool! Does that mean I can melt stuff? Huh? Can I like, spit on something and dissolve it into a million pieces?" He didn't even notice the weapon and as Haku withdrew it -carefully to avoid the minute amount of blood on the tip- but spoke in a steady stream of words. Neither missing-nin knew who the would-be jealous people were, but time was precious.

"Brat!" Zabuza shouted while simultaneously tossing Naruto's bokken to it's owner.

Naruto hopped away and caught the weapon with one hand, albeit with a little difficulty, and spun on his heel into a ready position. He bit his lip and waited. The other charged and in the cramped quarters Naruto found himself stumbling around as Haku teleported from the room taking his supplies with him. This was Naruto's test.

The wood clacked together, both blades charged and reinforced with a minimal amount of chakra. Later, Naruto would find it strange Zabuza had picked such a spot to practice in, but for the moment he allowed himself to be absorbed in the fight. The world narrowed, and with only one angry prompt Naruto changed. Zabuza's weapon sailed past her as she bent backwards and changed again. The warmth rolled up from his stomach and covered his body.

"You want your _real_ sword back, kid? Show me."

Naruto sidestepped, hopped onto the bed bolted to the wall to avoid a strike, and attacked.

* * *

Two men relaxed in the hotsprings; one aged and graying the other young but scarred. The old man leaned back against the side of the pool, his head supported by a towel, and closed his eyes with a smile. "Ah, Konoha. How I love you."

The younger man sat nearby on the side with a cloth around his waist and his feet dangling in the water. One of his legs were polished wood hinting at a past battle. Iruka had quickly mastered the basics of 'living puppetry' with Kotaro's help but was far from the degree of expert where the false limbs were second nature. If he didn't consciously thinking about circulating his chakra around the prothsetic the flow would cut off and the leg would go be nothing more than a fancy stump. Eventually, Kotaro assured him, altering the flow would become more like breathing and he wouldn't have to worry about a dead leg in the middle of battle.

Hopefully, the acclimation process wouldn't take too long, though the average for a Suna shinobi with impeccable control was four to six months. Iruka intended to beat that.

"And you do not like Suna? Your home village?" Iruka asked with amusement. He found the other man to be eccentric, and a little odd, but then so were a lot of the people that came from such a dry and hot place. It was probably the sun.

"I like the village just fine, and the people, but the sand! If it weren't for..." Kotaro trailed off and peeked an eye open to watch his client. He was leaned over, one hand supporting his chin, unseeing black eyes staring straight ahead. "Well, you live here. You know how much nicer the climate is."

"Mmmm." Iruka responded and tugged on a chakra thread causing the fake foot to kick at the cloudy water. "We get floods during the spring though, sometimes. And it gets pretty humid in the forests. Snow is my favorite, the weather hardly ever changes."

Kotaro rubbed his chin. "If it wasn't for the cold I'd vacation there rather than here. The best actresses are from Snow. You should see the kabuki plays they put on during the festivals." If it wasn't for the harmless old man vibe that Kotaro held Iruka would have called the man a womanizer. Though he really couldn't contest his point. The chunin had seen a Snow Country kabuki play back in his genin days for a mission and still counted it as one of his best experiences.

Iruka opened his mouth the respond, but paused as a faint gold glow entered into his field of non-vision. A ninja, probably high class if the chakra rolling off of him was anything to go by, was joining them. "Ah. Asuma-sensei." Iruka greeted as the lingering scent of tobacco and smoke hit his nose.

"Iruka-sensei." The large man grinned good naturedly and stepped into the spring, adjusting his towel as he did so. "I heard you were put through a meat grinder."

"It was only a little one." He gestured to Kotaro who tilted his head in greeting. "Kotaro-san. He is a puppet maker."

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kotaro-san."

The three men relaxed for a time in silence with the breeze bringing the occasional bit of female discussion from the other side. A bird perched on a thin branch, the rustle of the leaves alerting the blind chunin to it's presence, and Iruka recalled his strange visitors while he had been in the hospital. Perhaps if he hadn't had as many drugs and pain circulating through his body he might have found it odd, but had more important things to consider at the time. Though he had missed his old class, they had been his favorite throughout all his years of teaching. Iruka finally lowered himself into the steaming pool, gave a shiver as the water touched the point where wood met flesh, and cleared his throat. "If you wouldn't mind, Asuma-sensei, how is your team doing?"

Asuma grimaced and ran a wet hand through his hair. "Terrible. Why I'm here actually." The jounin gave the Suna native a glance, too subtle for any but the highly trained and experienced to catch, before decided that he was from an allied village and a civilian. A non-threat. "Kurenai had the brilliant idea to test her students for elemental affinity."

Iruka frowned at that. Most ninja waited till a student had gone through the chunin exams at least once before testing. Early genin was a time for branching out and learning the basics -not specializing- and he wondered why she would have done it.

"Anyway." Asuma said as he dried his hands with a slight application of wind chakra. "Ino heard about it," he pulled a cigarette and lighter from his bucket, "and insisted that they all be tested."

"Did you tell her how unusual it is for genin?"

"Of course! But she's a Yamanaka, they do mind games and," he took a drag from the cigarette. "You had her, you know what she's like."

He smiled. It was so easy to imagine the scene with the slim little blonde girl arguing and throwing logic to the wind, or if she choose to use it she would be turning everything he said around. Even when you knew what she was doing, Ino was tenacious and didn't give up easily. It was often easier to just cave. "I suppose I can't fault you for that. So, may I ask what they are."

Asuma was quiet for a moment as he smoked, one hand idly trailing in the water. He shifted to allow the heat better access to his back and shook his head. "I certainly wasn't expecting it, that's for sure." The cigarette hissed it's death on a damp rock. "Ino, she insisted on going first, turned out to have earth."

It was surprising. Most Yamanaka's, at least so far as Iruka knew, either had wind, water, or nothing at all. To be sure he only knew about two that had been in his year, one now dead, and another his father had spoken of, _but earth? It seems counter to their usual fighting style..._

Asuma continued. "And Chouji, he's so quiet most of the time, can you believe he got fire? Once Ino saw she insisted on taking them out for a new wardrobe. Shikamaru though, he didn't have one. I was worried for a minute there, but he didn't seem to mind."

Iruka shook his head. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. He's quiet, and much smarter than he lets on. He may not have wanted the others to feel bad, though if there is something wrong I doubt he'd show it."

"I'll think about it... damn it!" Asuma growled and winced, arching his back and scratching at it. Kotaro whistled appreciatively causing Iruka's curiosity to get the better of him. He twisted the fingers of his right hand to aid in releasing chakra, just enough to see the immediate area, and gave his own whistle.

"Is that splinter made of... rock?"

"Ino." That was all that needed to be said.

Kotaro smiled impishly. _Perhaps I should keep an eye on this Ino._ "A very interesting girl to be sure."

Iruka wondered if 'womanizer' should be switched to 'pedophile'.

* * *

The shuttle moved between the strings of the loom like a small missile trailing a line of smoke. The weaver was old, retired, but not so old she had lost her talent. At one time she had been pretty with bright green eyes and soft brown hair, skin smooth despite the rigors of her chosen profession, or because of it? As she pumped the pedal with he body a clump of dry bangs fell to far into her vision, and she tucked them out of the way revealing an empty eye socket. The rigors of the job caused that, too.

Foot hit pedal the and loom frame moved to realign itself and allow the shuttle to pass back through with a flick of her wrist. The woman frowned as she caught the shuttle. There was an unease settling in her mind. For years she'd survived and even thrived by listening to her gut. She'd learned who could be trusted. Who needed to quietly disappear. Her lips pursed and one hand went to the foot long spikes holding her hair in place.

She was retired. She hadn't been in the field for two decades. Why was her danger sense activating now? Her daughter was still out. She smiled at the thought of her girl training. In a few years she'd be as dangerous and gorgeous as her mother at that age. Still, could that be why she felt so unsettled? Was there some threat against her daughter? She couldn't think of anything; the only threat to her daughter had left.

Her frown deepened and a scar at the corner of her lip stretched white. _It's gone. Or is it merely recouping from it's mask being pulled off? Gathering strength to return and finish the job it started? Vile beast_. Her breathing slowed as she thought deeper, recalling the night that left her scarred and nearly took her child. The loom clacked, and the set of the strings reminded her of a tunnel as the shuttle passed through. Her family had died while she lay trapped beneath one. With her body broken and pinned amongst the debris she couldn't help them fight.

But by some miracle her unborn child had survived the trauma unharmed. The weaver's eyes drifted to a small brown paper wrapped package, a gift for her child when she returned home, and a determined glint lit in her eyes. The creature, a mockery of humanity, may have run off but he would be tracked down eventually. She would nudge her child to it, explain when the time was right, and their family would be avenged. It may be a little to much to ask for _her_ blood to strike the killing blow but it would die one way or another. It was only just.

Injuries that had never quite healed ached as she pushed back from the ancient loom of her great grandmother and walked to the package. Mamoru's delivery boy had delivered it a few hours ago, but she hadn't bothered with it since. She should probably check the measurements before turning it over to her daughter, the woman mused.

Dark, a few shades from black, red silk slid through her fingers. Tempered with chakra using a technique privy only to those of the seamstress's family, the silk was a strong as good steel. It was a beautiful dress cut to allow for some growth as she had requested, but not obviously baggy. _She'll love it. Practical, to better catch the Sasuke boy, hmmm?_ The weaver smiled at the memory of the conversation. At long last her daughter was taking being a kunoichi seriously.

Even if it was to catch a boy. _But a strong boy, strong grandchildren I cannot argue with_.

Satisfied, the woman folded the dress and turned to place it on her child's bed. Her eyes narrowed as the feeling of unease spiked.

* * *

She slipped through the old veterans defenses with little difficulty. It was her specialty, after all, and Kurenai wasn't one to disappoint. Sun warmed tiles heated her back comfortably as she lay on a neighboring rooftop from her target. Her eyes zipped back and forth beneath her eyelids as she explored the other's mind. Backtracking through memories.

_You've been a very busy woman, Mrs. Haruno._ Kurenai clamped down on her personal feelings. She couldn't risk tipping off the woman. Not yet. She weaved her chakra into a powerful illusion and continued her explorations. A little blood dripped from her nose but that wasn't unusual for her. Mind Jutsu, especially one as invasive and delicate as hers, always carried a heavy toll. Kurenai swallowed. _It's time._

She flowed out of her prone position and leapt into the shimmering air as it wrapped her in yet another illusion. She slunk in through a second story window and dodged the glistening tip of a needle: Haruno's trademark weapon. The woman was a kunoichi in the classical sense and had made quite the name for herself in the red division. One drop of the poison from those hair sticks and Kurenai would be just another corpse.

"You're good girl, but too young to get one over on me." Mrs. Haruno smirked as she danced backwards and her now-free hair whipped around her concealing the missing eye. Kurenai could see how the woman put her body to use all those years ago enchanting young lords and gaining entrance to some of the most high security compounds. The elder kunoichi twirled, her robes hiding subtle movements, but the genjutsu mistress didn't fall for it.

She twisted away from the hidden darts exploding from the wall and began weaving another layer of illusion around the room. Haruno's lip curled in distaste and she made a quick dispelling motion. Kurenai changed tactics. She dropped a single kunai from the holster on her arm and charged using chakra to bounce around the walls. Her red eyes locked on the nuances of the other woman and she shifted to right as yet another trap went off and a cloud of gas filled the hallway.

Needle met kunai and they struggled for dominance. It didn't last long. Haruno was far out of practice, even before retiring, and it showed. With a grunt and a burst of chakra she vanished only to appear several feet away and turning a coat-hook upside down. "Another trap, weaver? You certainly live up to the reputation 'Black Widow'." Kurenai taunted.

The time the floor dropped out from under her with enough time delay to make her think the trap had failed. Kurenai blinked, and sharped spears pierced her feet and abdomen. She coughed blood.

A poisoned hair stick shot through her throat.

"It was earned, child."

"Not enough."

Haruno looked down in rage. A vine had wrapped around her ankle and was crawling up her leg. "Traitorous bitch!" She snarled and jerked free while running down the hall. Her world tilted, and hundreds of sharp pinpicks of pain attacked her side. Her good eye watered and she snarled while spinning in confusion. Cuts opened up all along her arms and face. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep and managed to intercept the kunai aimed for her shoulder. She completely missed the fist that impacted her sternum. Blood bubbled in her mouth. She glanced toward the pit in her house and found it empty. Cursing she shushined to her kitchen and emergency potions stash. The poison was spreading quickly with the aide of adrenaline, and though she didn't think her attacker would risk involving civilians, it wouldn't matter if she collapsed before finding back up.

Haruno choked as a spikes flicked into her awareness.

* * *

There was a satisfying crunch from behind her, and Kurenai turned slowly. She pushed open a swinging door that led to the small kitchen and gazed at the bleeding body of Memori Haruno. The woman lay out half propped up by iron spikes pinning her to the floor and counter. "H-how..?" She gurgled as her lungs filled with blood.

Kurenai watched the life ebb out of the older woman onto the floor. It was sad, in a way, the woman wasn't really that old but time wasn't the only thing that had aged her. "You've been in my genjutsu since you received that package. Since you took it from my hands. You know what genjutsu can do through eye contact, imagine what physical can do."

Shock.

"All that work you put into making that fabric, and none of it was even there." Kurenai crouched down. "Talking to yourself is a bad habit for a ninja, Haruno-san. But you didn't tell me everything I wanted to know, just enough. Don't worry, your daughter won't know what you've done."

The woman sagged as death crept closer. Red eyes watched the blood flow slow. "Thank you for the battle, Haruno-san."

Kurenai weaved her fingers together and a gust of leaves hid her departure. Haruno was only one point of communication, but with her killed by a stone spy the others would be scrambling to figure everything out. In the meantime she had a report to file.

* * *

Since stepping onto the exposed deck, neutral gray clouds had covered the sky concealing the sun behind a curtain of fog. Wind whipped at Kin's hair tugging slivers loose from the ribbon as she looked into it. Even a novice seafarer such as herself could recognize the approach of a storm; it was fortuitous in a way.

"It's coming fast, girl. There's nothing to slow it down out here in the open, we'll have to be faster." Zabuza's gruff voice spoke over her shoulder. Kin inclined her head respectfully and gave the two over-sized bells holstered at her thighs a pat. The shinobi of their group gathered to the side as crewmen ran back and forth preparing for the coming storm. Her dark eyes darted to Naruto as he held his katana, recently won back through hard training, tightly in his fist as if expecting someone to try and snatch it and yet he still managed to watch the sailors excitedly. The kunoichi smiled to herself as her master was called back to attention as Zabuza cleared his throat in an annoyed fashion. Still, there was a malicious glint to his eyes as he spoke.

"Naruto, hang back till you see the signal, then attack 'en mass'." The little blonde's head snapped up, nearly cracking with the speed, and he gave a solemn nod while giving the briefest touch to the large scroll at his back. For a split second his eyes flashed a bright red.

"Kin, stick with me till we reach the inner circle, don't engage the enemy until after your primary goal has been achieved."

"Yes, Sir." She accepted the orders willingly and not with a small amount of habit. Though she understood the reasoning behind the orders it was galling to think that she wasn't skilled enough to fight alongside the men.

Then again, she was the best out of their little band for the job. She'd spent weeks studying till her brain melted for it.

Kin looked down at the waxed wood beneath her feet and scowled. She would have to be fast and stealthy -like a real ninja- and she'd wouldn't be stopped.

"Haku, set up as many ice mirrors as you can," this was new, and Kin looked up curious. "I'll be depending on you to help direct the battles. We may have more support than I originally anticipated." Despite the bandages concealing it, Zabuza's smile was vicious. "But keep to your original orders if it seems feasible."

"Hai, Zabuza-sama." As always Haku was perfectly polite and respectable, but Kin couldn't help notice the way the summoning scroll hung at his back. '_He signed it. I can't believe he signed an unknown scroll_.'

"Let's move out."

Four pairs of feet hit the waves as thunder rolled over the ship. The captain watched as the figures became blurs on the ocean surface, and carefully scratched out false names from the log. 'Lost at Sea', he cracked his neck and turned to yell at his watchman. Whatever the ninja were doing it was none of his business.

* * *

The village was never peaceful, it's past and tradition was so deeply drenched in blood peace was a fairy tale. Peace was unthinkable. Someone was always scheming, and to get anywhere someone else had to die. It is the nature of a shinobi, the only way for a hidden village to thrive.

As the Mizukage checked his tea for poison, a chill shot down his spine. Slowly, he licked his lips and burned out the near undetectable toxin. _They'll have to do better than that._ He chuckled and downed the whole cup in a show of bravado to the unseen watchers. But the feeling of unease persisted.

END.


End file.
